You're my Density
by robst
Summary: Just Suppose Harry hadn't heeded his godfather's advice, and actually lost his temper at his trial? Time travel fic and title is 'Back to the Future' joke.
1. That's the Power of Love

**You're my Density**

Disclaimer - I paid good money for all my Harry Potter books, trips to the cinema to watch the films, purchasing them again on blu-ray and any official merchandise I bought. Since this story is free, that means I'm not JKR and certainly don't own Harry Potter.

**Chapter 1- That's the Power of Love**

For a Sunday night, the uni bar was pretty quiet. Then again, tomorrow was the last day of university before the Christmas holidays. The older students had taken the broad hints their lecturers had been dropping for the last few weeks and all buggered off home on Friday night or by Saturday afternoon at the latest.

The group sitting in the corner were all firsties, and all taking the same course. None of them really thought a 'Christmas piss-up' was a good idea. By the same token though, none of them wanted to be the one who said they weren't going when the idea was talked about. They were students, they were supposed to get pissed - weren't they?

At least they were currently being entertained. They had all noticed a beautiful girl sitting by herself. A beautiful girl who had politely but firmly rebuffed every attempt from anyone who had tried to chat her up. The odd thing was, all of them were sure she kept looking over in their direction. Martin had of course decreed that she must be looking at him, so confidently set off to conquer. He initially appeared to be making progress before his deflation was visible from the other side of the pub. His crawl back was in stark contrast to the way he'd strutted over there.

"Hey Marty, so is it Back to the Future for the two hundredth and eighteenth time tonight? You might as well, it seems like you've nothing else on."

This generated a fair amount of laughter. Martin's obsession with those movies was well known, probably because he told everyone who wasn't quick enough to get away from him all about it. He dreamed about being his hero, even considered changing his last name to McFly. In reality though, Martin was a much closer match for the character of Biff than Marty.

As first year students, they were still finding their feet in university. The group's dynamics had also yet to settle down. Martin saw himself as a born leader but, much to his dismay, no one else did. Faced with the ridicule from his fellow students, Martin employed his number one defence tactic - focus that ridicule on someone else.

"Hey, we all agreed she was staring over here. Who else would she be looking at, Harry?"

Harry had been doing his usual, sitting quietly in the corner and wondering when he could reasonably say it was time to go back to his room. Everyone's attention now on him was the last thing he wanted.

Brian could and should be the leader of the group, he was waiting on all the other candidates for the position to make arses of themselves before stepping in. He was also Harry's lab partner and wasn't about to stand for Martin picking on him, just because Harry was quiet.

"Let's be honest, Martin, Harry couldn't do any worse than you. I've seen some people crash and burn in my time but that was epic."

"I'll bet you the next round that Harry will crash and burn too."

"That's hardly fair, since no one's even got to sit beside her yet. I will bet he fares better than you, I would also bet you quoted a line from that bloody movie at her."

Martin's face was now red as Brian turned to Harry. "What about it, mate. Wanna give it a try? You really have nothing to lose, we all know Marty McPhail here couldn't resist trying to dazzle her with his brilliance."

Seeing the wink from his friend got Harry rising from his seat. Harry didn't make many friends and the easy going Brian was one of them.

Martin then tried to put the kibosh on his effort before he even started. Thumping Harry way harder on the back than was considered polite, he then shouted "Go get her, tiger" at the top of his voice.

Harry stopped and turned to face Martin, his green eyes boring into the bigger man like those drills Harry's Uncle Vernon was always talking about.

Even with a height and build advantage, Martin's senses were screaming not to mess with this one. "Just wanted to wish you luck, mate."

As Harry turned and walked away, Brian's words were aimed at Martin but heard by most of the group. "Don't let Harry being quiet fool you into thinking that makes him a pushover. I didn't do my share of the work our first lab, he took me aside and chewed me out. He's easy going until you get in his way, Harry is the most driven out of all of us."

Harry approached the girl who then smiled at him, changing her from beautiful to absolutely stunning. "Excuse me, Miss. I'm really sorry to annoy you, especially after just having a visit from Martin. The thing is there's now a bet running among us. Not about you - although you are most certainly involved. You see we're sure Martin tried a cheesy pick-up line on you, using something from the movie he's obsessed with..."

"He said I was his density?"

"Oh, that's certainly cheesy. What did you say?"

"I said heavy, which was probably the wrong answer as he took encouragement from that. I then had to come down heavily on him before he sat himself down."

This had both of them laughing before Harry got ready to excuse himself. "Thank you for clearing that up, and again sorry for disturbing you."

"Who said you were disturbing me? My name is Hermione, won't you take a seat?"

"Hermione, as in A Winter's Tale? That's my favourite Shakespeare play, and I've always loved that name."

Harry then got to hear that musical laugh again. "Now who's trying the cheesy lines? I've already asked you to sit down too..."

As he sat, Harry began quoting some of Hermione's monologue from the play. "_The crown and comfort of my life, your favour, I do give lost; for I do feel it gone, But know not how it went._ My name's Harry and I don't have any pick-up lines, cheesy or otherwise. I don't know why but that part has always stuck in my memory..."

Seeing Hermione's eyes begin to mist over, Harry was getting ready to apologise when she shook her head. "You didn't upset me, that was beautiful. Now I certainly don't buy the part about having no lines, you're way too smooth for that to be true."

This actually got a wide grin from Harry. "I've been called many things, usually nerdy, but never smooth. This is going to feel like another line but you are really easy to talk to. I'm not smooth with girls at all, far less beautiful ones."

"That's either a great line or a very sincere compliment, I'm gonna take it as a compliment. You're very charming yet, when I looked over to your group, you seemed to want to be elsewhere."

His brows furrowed at just how perceptive this girl was. He did find her easy to talk to though. Harry was now actually enjoying his evening so kept the conversation going. "This is not really my scene. I'm not much of a drinker and have always struggled to make friends, hence why I didn't think I could miss this. I'll be here with these same people for the next four and a half years. I thought I should at least make an effort to fit in."

"What are you studying?"

"Veterinary Medicine, and I'm enjoying it. I was fifteen when I suddenly realised if I ever wanted to accomplish anything then I needed to get my act together. I started hitting the books, and here we are..." Harry was shocked as her hand covered his and Hermione's thumb was now drawing gentle circles on the back of his hand. This may be a very unusual situation but one thing wasn't in question, the sincerity oozed from every fibre of Hermione's being.

"You're training to help animals, that's just so... noble of you." Hermione almost said so like you, that would have been a bad slip.

"It's a career I think I could be good at, a career I'll enjoy."

At that Brian appeared, instantly noticing the hands. "Hey Harry, you never came back to tell us who won the bet."

"You knew who won the bet before I came over here. Brian, this is Hermione."

"Hi Brian, can you do us a favour?"

Looking into those warm chocolate eyes would have Brian agreeing to do anything.

"Could you please tell 'Marty' that Harry and I are going to make like trees, and get out of here."

Brian was nodding before it hit him. "Eh, shouldn't that be leave?"

Harry had an even wider grin on his face now. "Don't worry, Martin will get it. See you tomorrow in class..." Hermione's hand now squeezed his, causing Harry to shift his attention. She merely had to lift an eyebrow for Harry to get the message being conveyed. "...or maybe I won't. Anyway, if I don't see you, have a nice Christmas."

Hermione stood, still with Harry's hand in hers as both of them then headed out the door.

Brian turned to see Martin already at the bar, acknowledging he had lost the bet. The rest of their group had their eyes well and truly opened about Harry Potter, Brian couldn't help but think this was only the beginning.

-oOoOo-

As they walked through the car park, Harry again offered Hermione an out. "I can't thank you enough for that, I was dreading spending the rest of the night in there."

Since Hermione still had hold of his hand, she gave it another squeeze. "Harry, playing dumb doesn't suit you. You have obviously figured out I was in there for a reason, I can read the curiosity on your face."

"I'm trying to remember what curiosity did to the cat."

Stopping, Hermione turned to face him. "I could never, nor would ever, hurt you. Do you believe me?"

Once more, this beautiful girl's sincerity shone through. Harry had no other option but to agree.

"I was there tonight looking for a very special person. I found that special person and promise to tell him everything, but not here. I can tell you exactly why you find it easy to talk to me, that and so much more. It might take all night and most of tomorrow, I promise I will answer every question."

Something deep inside Harry demanded he believe this beautiful woman, and he was sure it wasn't his hormones. They got in a car that was obviously hired and Hermione soon had them on the road. He then realised that all he knew about Hermione was her name, this was a good chance to remedy that - without delving too deep. Harry soon discovered she was nineteen and, although clearly British, Hermione had lived in the South of France for the last two and a half years. Harry casually asking what would have her leave there to hit Britain in the depths of December just saw Hermione glance at him - surely not?

They weren't on the motorway long before Hermione had them heading into the services. That she parked the car in front of a Travelodge room, and then came round the car to lead him inside, blew Harry's mind. Things like this just didn't happen to him. Hermione sat him down in the room's one chair, it was the room's one bed however that Harry's thoughts kept being drawn to. Hermione took off her jacket and hung it up, the tight jumper she wore under it just exacerbating Harry's problems. As Hermione walked around the room, Harry tried very hard not to stare at her exquisite derriere. When she sat on the bed across from him and held both his hands in hers, Harry was lost in those chocolate eyes.

"The reason you can talk to me so easily, Harry, is that we were best friends for four years. Those were the best four years of my life, I was devastated when they took you away from us. I know for a fact they altered your memory but there are some things they couldn't alter. You have a scar on your right forearm that looks like a puncture wound, a giant snake did that when you were twelve. You nearly died but a good and true friend saved you. The scratch along your left shoulder was made by another type of creature when you were fourteen, again another good friend healed you."

Harry was wearing his hair longer and also wore contacts, leaving her best friend a very handsome young man. She lifted one of her hands to his face and brushed away the jet black hair that was obscuring his most famous scar of all. Running her finger gently along the lightning bolt saw Harry leaning into her touch, just like Crookshanks or Hedwig did when they wanted petted.

"You got this the night your parents died. You used to believe it happened in a car crash, is that the story they stuck to?" His gentle nod had Hermione continuing, though she knew this would be hard.

"On Halloween, nineteen eighty one, your parents - James and Lily Potter - were murdered by one of the most evil men that's ever lived. He tried to kill you too, but something remarkable happened. He was banished and you were left with that scar, and a whole bunch of fame you never wanted. It took him nearly fourteen years to come back, and when you broke that news - they wouldn't believe you. The government didn't want you spreading these tales. It made them look bad and there were also those who did believe you. They manufactured charges to get you into court..."

Hermione now had tears gently running down her cheeks as she recounted the moment that changed both their lives. "You lost your temper at the trial. Told the government they were a bunch of cowardly bastards who could all go and fuck themselves..."

Harry was mesmerised by Hermione's touch, she could have told him the moon was made of cheese and he wouldn't have disagreed. "That sounds like something I would do and say..."

This drew a giggle out of Hermione, and allowed her to use the hand not currently stroking Harry's cheek to wipe the tears off her own. "They used that as an excuse to kick you out. Your memory was wiped, they would have to wipe the Dursleys' too, and they bound your magic. Yes, Harry, magic. You're a wizard, Harry, and a very powerful one. Your mother and father were magical too, as am I."

He lifted both his hands and clasped Hermione's that was now stroking his cheek. "I don't want you to stop doing that, ever, but I can't think straight while you're actually doing it. Magic, Hermione, really? That makes you what, a witch?"

"Yes, Harry, I'm a witch. My mother and father aren't magical though, they had this same conversation when I turned eleven and qualified for magical school. Professor McGonagall used her wand to turn mum's coffee table into a pig. After witnessing that, they believed in magic."

It was now Harry's turn to raise a questioning eyebrow, and Hermione knew exactly what he wanted. Unfortunately she couldn't oblige. "The evil wizard who killed your parents has since taken over the magical government. They have sensors covering the country that would know if I performed magic here, and there would be a snatch squad dispatched to capture us within moments. I can't even say this evil wizard's name. Rumour has it saying that name out loud will bring those same snatch squads, that's not a rumour I want to test. I think I may be able to convince you though, hungry?"

Harry still held her hand in both of his, he teasingly squeezed it. "Hermione, calling room service is hardly magic. It's also expensive..." From her smile, he could see she was up to something.

Harry didn't know if Dobby was a spell or a person, the results though were irrefutable. Hermione was not a woman who wore much make-up, she didn't need to. This meant the room's dresser had been clear but no longer. A feast just appeared out of thin air, and this was no take away. Here was all sorts of delicious looking foods, presented on what appeared to Harry like golden plates.

"Dobby is a very good friend, and he has kept me in touch with what's been happening to you for the last three and a half years. He won't appear. While he understands what the ministry did to you, you seeing him and not knowing who he is would break his little heart. He's devoted to the person who freed him from the hell his former life was, that person is you."

As Harry began to nibble at this feast, one question was screaming in his mind. "I'm not saying I believe you, but I have a question. Why now? After three and a half years, why are you here talking to me?"

"As I said, the evil wizard now controls magical Britain. There is some resistance though, and that resistance holds you as their figurehead. They claim that while Harry Potter lives, the evil wizard hasn't really conquered Britain. Yes they are clutching at straws but this wizard wants to take even that away from them. His minions began seriously hunting you at the start of December. You don't know who these people are, and have no way to defend against them. I really had to come back."

For the first time, Harry sensed Hermione might have put herself in danger over this. "Are you being hunted too?" Her nod led logically to his next question. "What would happen if they found you?"

"I'd be dragged up in front of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, where I'd be sentenced to Azkaban for stealing my magic from some pureblood. Someone would be sure to remember though I was your best friend, and start interrogating me about why I was back in the country. I think I'd rather die than be captured..."

Harry was moving before even realising what he was doing. He was sitting on the bed beside Hermione and his arms were around her. She meanwhile was clinging to him, her head buried in Harry's chest and crying hard enough to wet his shirt.

After a few minutes Hermione got herself back under control, she didn't move though. "Harry, you can't have any idea how bad things are. People we both knew, raped or murdered - slaughtered for amusement in some cases. They are practicing genocide against people who don't fit a very specific profile. A profile neither you nor I match. Please say you believe me? I would hate for you to think of me as some crying nutter."

Harry held this strange yet familiar girl. He had loved the name Hermione since finding it in A Winter's Tale, now here was a reason for that. Her scent as he held her was intoxicating. Not because of any brand of perfume she wore, more like a scent he associated with being home - being safe. Her arms around him felt very familiar too, almost like reawakening a muscle memory. Hermione was waiting on an answer, Harry gave her one.

"I'm trying to look at this situation logically, except their is no logic to this. That you believe every word you've told me to be the truth is a given, and a point in favour of magic. Our delicious food just appearing out of thin air, another point for magic existing. At the moment all I've got against is how ludicrous the whole thing sounds. While I can't categorically say I don't believe you, I can't say I do either - much as I'd like to."

He felt some of the tension leave Hermione's body at that. Harry tried a different question this time, one a lot more personal. "Can I ask you something else. In this other life, other time, were we a couple?"

Harry instantly felt Hermione's tension return but again he could detect no dishonesty in her answer. "I last saw you the night before your trial, that was the eleventh of August, ninety five. I kissed you on the cheek for luck, and that was the very last time I saw you before tonight. You were my best friend and I was certainly ready to see if we could be more. Boys mature later than girls, they took you away before any of that more had time to happen..."

"I must have been an idiot, back then. This is another big plus for your story being true. I wasn't joking when I said earlier I have no lines or moves, yet holding you in my arms just feels so right - almost like you belong there. I'm rubbish with girls, so bad that there's even rumours going around the accommodation I'm gay. Yet with you - everything feels so natural, so perfect. Things like instant attraction and love at first sight don't happen, at least not to me. In a weird sort of way us being best friends since the age of eleven actually makes much more sense to me."

Hermione lifted her head and again Harry acted without thinking. He gently kissed her tear streaked cheeks, slowly making his way toward her lips. Hermione was ready for him by the time he got there, holding Harry tight and putting all the emotion she had into their shared kiss.

It was some minutes later before Hermione could speak again. "Harry, you have some world class moves."

Harry felt the emotion flowing from Hermione when she kissed him, adding more weight to the 'she's telling the truth' argument. He needed to know what was going to happen next, before they went any further and he didn't care about what was going to happen next. "Can I assume, now that you've found me, there is a plan of what to do next?"

"I have two, Harry, both very risky. I entered the country by plane and using a false French passport. I took a potion to make me look exactly like the person I stole the passport from. Getting into Britain though is a lot easier than getting out. All forms of magical transport out of the country are blocked, leaving us only normal methods. Now that they are actively looking for you however, I don't know if we could slip past them. With your core bound, taking that potion might do you serious harm. And then there's this..."

Hermione held her hand out and a leaflet appeared in it. Harry thought this must be the mysterious Dobby's doing again but his attention was far more focused on what Hermione now handed him. It was an old photograph, clearly of him, that he'd never seen before. He was probably about fourteen and seemed ready to take part in some kind of sport, but this picture moved. That wasn't even the most disturbing thing though, plastered across the top in bold letters was Undesirable Number One.

"Okay, I can see how that might be a problem."

"It's even worse than you think. Harry, this evil wizard wants you dead. He's not going to stop coming after you even if you get out of the country. You'll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life, and not even know who you're looking for."

"If this is risky plan A, I'm assuming you've kept the best 'til last?"

"Plan B is even riskier, but it could possibly save hundreds, if not thousands of lives. In its most basic form, the plan is we go back in time and fix things."

"Hermione, that's a hired Ford Fiesta you've got parked out there. Even if this Dobby friend of yours can drop a flux capacitor in your lap, I doubt that little car could reach eighty eight miles per hour going down hill."

She just smiled at him as if he was being silly. "Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, we perform a ritual at Stonehenge that will hopefully send our spirits back to our younger bodies."

"Ritual? As in witches and wizards dancing naked around a bonfire?"

"Yes, a ritual. No to the bonfire. Yes to being naked but, unless your dancing has improved dramatically since I last saw you, that's a no too."

"Why do we have to be naked?"

"We're trying to send our spirits back in time, a difficult enough task without something like clothes possibly getting in the way. Why are you picking on that one thing? Does the thought of seeing me naked seem that bad?"

"Quite the opposite. We're in the middle of winter however, and the cold has been known to affect certain parts of a male's anatomy…"

This had Hermione laughing before throwing her arms around Harry and soundly kissing him. "Now there's the man I love. We could meet our end tomorrow night and all he's worried about is disappointing me."

"You love me?"

"I have since I was twelve, nearly told you a couple of times too. Apart from my parents, I can't think of anyone else I would have returned to Britain for - far less attempt what I'm suggesting. If we go back in time, it will certainly unbind your core. Your memory we're not sure of."

"We? You and Dobby?"

This again had Hermione in fits of laughter before she could answer. "No Harry, me and Professor Dumbledore. He was one of the most brilliant wizards who ever lived. When that happened to you at your trial, I still had to attend Hogwarts for another year and sit exams before I could legally leave. That was a terrible time for me but Dumbledore took me under his wing. He actually set me on this course, knowing I might need it one day. Being Dumbledore though he would never come straight out and tell you something. He used to leave clues and make it like a treasure hunt, he'd been murdered by the time I figured everything out. He got my parents out of Britain to France and arranged for me to complete the last two years of my magical education there too."

"Can't we just unbind my core? Then you could train me in what I need to know to fight back."

"I asked Dumbledore the exact same thing. He said that for all intents and purposes, the procedure was irreversible. You have been living without magic now for three and a half years, to suddenly flood your body with the stuff by unblocking your core would kill you. It can only be reversed in the first few weeks and the ministry kept you locked away for that, supposedly working on altering your memories."

"It seems to me that this government went to a lot of trouble to take me out the picture, I just can't get my head around why. I'm just plain old Harry Potter, a bit of a bookworm and totally nothing special."

"You are special, Harry, and not just to me. I am a powerful witch and academically in the top one percent. You have power that others could only dream of. Harry Potter defeated this evil wizard as a baby. You repeated that feat when you were eleven, again at twelve and in front of his own followers when you were fourteen. That's when he got smart and used his followers' money and connections to get the government to do what he couldn't. Dumbledore was murdered the following year with the country falling not long after. I was barely out the country a month when it all happened."

"If I banished him all these times, how come this guy is still around?"

"That is something I can't tell you yet, for two very good reasons. There are magical people who can read your thoughts, I need to teach you how to hide them before I can pass on what are effectively state secrets. I was taught by a master and it took a couple of months, that's the sort of timescale we're talking about."

"And the second reason?"

"As I said, we're not sure if doing this will unlock the memory block they performed on you. If that's the case, I don't want to give you any preconceived ideas about the people you're going to meet. I'll always have your back but I want you to be Harry, be who you are now, not someone me or anyone else tries to mould you into. I love you, Harry, my best friend who I'm hoping will be so much more. Those are my motives, plain, simple and right upfront. Others that you will meet won't be so clear or obvious."

Harry thought carefully for a moment before answering. "If we do this, and I mean if, there is a condition that is simply non-negotiable."

Hermione waited to hear this condition so Harry laid it out for her. "If we manage to go all 'back to the future', Miss Hermione Granger must give me her solemn promise that she will be my girlfriend if and when we get there."

She leaned in and tenderly kissed him. "Miss Hermione Granger promises to be Harry Potter's girlfriend now, in the future and even in the past - you're never getting away from me again. Does this mean you believe me now?"

"I can't lie to my girlfriend and say yes. The way I figure it we will either end up in the past and be a couple, with me being a wizard thrown in, or I get to spend tomorrow evening with a naked beautiful but very cold woman. Getting warm together when it doesn't work could be a lot of fun. I can't see a downside to this so I'm in."

Hermione wanted to snog his brains out for that but needed to tell him about the very real possibility of a downside. "When I start the ritual, a snatch squad will be dispatched. If they get through to us before the ritual completes... I will kill myself before I let them take me, it really is the better option."

Wrapping her in his arms, Harry tried to sum up their position. "I get that it's dangerous, I also get this is the route you want us to take. Don't ask me to explain it but I have an incredible amount of trust in you, confidence too. You won't lead me wrong..."

He never got to say anymore as Hermione pushed Harry back on the bed and kissed him with everything she had. Their hands were roving and she was nibbling his ear before whispering. "Stay with me tonight."

"What? You mean?"

"Yes."

"I don't have anything..."

"Harry, tomorrow night we will either be traveling back in time or dead. It's good you were thinking responsibly but we don't need to worry about protection tonight."

"Hermione, I've never done this before..."

She kissed away his embarrassment. "Neither have I. We always worked things out together before, this will just be the same." It was then her turn to be embarrassed as she asked a question that had fuelled her more erotic fantasies since Hermione was old enough to have them. "Can you still talk to snakes?"

-oOoOo-

It was much later when a very satisfied Hermione was snuggling into her now sleeping Harry that she was able to think about what had happened earlier.

One glance across that pub to see him sitting there already made her trip worthwhile. Even if he later told her she was a nutter and to go and get lost, she would at least have gotten to say goodbye - and perhaps be able to move on with the rest of her life. Just simply touching his hand reignited all the old feelings she'd tried to convince herself was just a crush on a friend. There could be no denying it any longer, she was hopelessly in love with Harry.

That he didn't really believe her story was always going to be the case. Harry being honest about it yet willing to give her the benefit of the doubt just melted her heart. When he held her in his arms, Hermione felt safe for the first time since leaving France. Harry and her spending the night together in the same hotel room was again always part of her plan. Both of them ending up naked in the bed wasn't, or at least she didn't think so. Then again, she could easily have specified a room with twin beds but didn't. Perhaps it was more in hope than anything else, all she knew was every hope she ever had was surpassed tonight.

She gently moved his hair to see his scar, a scar that was certainly lighter. Dumbledore had given her all the information he had on horcruxes, including his suspicions about Harry. His best guess was that Harry having his magic bound would slowly starve any horcrux behind that scar, it having significantly faded appeared to confirm that guess.

Hermione was anything but stupid. She could see Dumbledore was trying to lead her down a certain path, a path he expected her to then take Harry along. Even from tonight, Hermione could tell whatever the ministry had done to him hadn't changed who Harry was. Yes he'd grown and matured but Hermione loved the man her Harry had become just as much as she loved the young wizard he once was. Thinking of him as her Harry saw Hermione place a featherlight kiss on his lips.

"Mmmm. I was having a wonderful dream until you woke me. Now I know I wasn't dreaming and my beautiful guardian angel is actually here in my arms. Whatever happens tomorrow, I'm with you all the way."

"Than you, Harry. Tomorrow you need to practice writing symbols on me, we need to do that for the ritual..."

"It's always the quiet ones." As Harry drew Hermione to him again, she wasn't quiet for long.

-oOoOo-

Harry had been dressed for an evening out at the pub, not for a winter's night traipse through Wiltshire. Hermione insisted he bought a thick jumper and heavy jacket, something he was now very grateful for. The flat countryside offered little in the way of protection from those icy December winds that had both of them snuggling into their protective clothing to preserve whatever warmth they could. Being naked together under that duvet in the hotel had been wonderful, this would be brutal.

Stepping between two stones of the monolithic monument, both noticed a table set where a column offered at least some protection from the biting wind.

"Let me guess, your friend, Dobby."

"Our friend, Harry, and we'll struggle to ever find a better one."

Having already talked Harry through the procedure step by step, neither hesitated now. Hermione cut the palm of her hand with the silver ritual knife, allowing her blood to spill into the waiting bowl. Harry was soon following her example, they needed this mixture because Harry's blood contained no magic.

This was Hermione's greatest fear, that she wouldn't be powerful enough to take them both back. That's why they were on this site on one of the most magical nights of the year, Hermione needed all the help she could get. She was still in school at the Summer Solstice, so that was out. Halloween was another magically powerful night, though historically not a good time for Harry. Voldemort's ministry dramatically amping up their search for Harry forced her hand, it had to be tonight.

As she painted specific ancient runes onto rune stones with their blood mixture, they would disappear off the table and Hermione was confident Dobby would place them precisely where they needed to be. That task done, it was time to disrobe.

When a warm blanket appeared at each of their feet, Harry couldn't help himself. "Dobby my friend - you are the absolute best!"

Hermione draped hers over her shoulders and couldn't help but smile. "You just made his year." Opening her arms wide gave Harry access to the places he needed to paint while the blanket still offered some protection from the elements. Harry then copied her pose, thankful Hermione was considerably quicker than him at this art.

Dropping their blankets beside the table, there was only one question left to ask. "Are you ready, love?"

"It's not fair, Hermione. My bits are shrivelled into nothing while I could hang my new jacket off a couple of yours."

She appreciated his attempt at humour and tried to return it as they walked over to where they needed to perform the ritual. "I was introduced to your bits last night, Harry. I was very impressed, and that's how I'll choose to remember them."

They knelt either side of the centre rune stone, Hermione clutching her wand with both hands directly above it. Harry then placed both his hands over hers.

"Time for your flux capacitor to do its stuff."

Hermione so wanted to kiss him for the trust and confidence he was displaying in her but Harry was right, it was time to power up the ritual.

As Hermione began to chant, Harry felt every hair on his body stand on end. A group of blue lights shot from the centre stone, connecting with all the others. Soon an umbrella of pure energy surrounded them. He could see the strain on Hermione's face and clasped her hands tighter in support. Harry was mesmerised as the symbols he'd so carefully painted on Hermione began to glow and pulse in time with her heartbeat.

His attention was drawn away from that wondrous sight by the spectacle of three people appearing out of thin air. They began to attack their protective umbrella with what must be magic but it thankfully held. Then something even stranger happened. Yoda appeared and used the force to blast their trio of attackers right out of Stonehenge, though the one that hit his head off the massive column that was now glowing too might not be getting back up.

Harry's last thought was, "shit, magic is real!" before an ear splitting scream from Hermione heralded a loud crack he'd previously only associated with a severe lighting storm. He was disorientated but held on to Hermione's hands as if his life depended on it, Harry was then literally holding on for his life.

Harry's arms were locked around the broad neck of a creature that was obviously trying to throw him off. He looked down at the carnage of what had once been a bathroom and saw the little girl standing there, Harry looked closer and recognised it was his Hermione. She had her wand out and the creature's club shot from its hand, only to return with even greater velocity and smack it squarely in the loincloth. As the massive creature sank to its knees before collapsing on the floor, Harry was able to let go and gently slide down its back.

He was still disorientated however and unable to stand. Harry soon found this version of Hermione sitting beside him, he offered no resistance as she lowered his head onto her lap.

"Hey Granger, get away from him. This was all your fault..."

Even lying there dizzy and with his eyes closed, Harry was never going to stand for that. "Hey, I don't know who you are but no one talks to my girlfriend like that. Apologise or I'll kick your arse. Hermione, why is my voice so squeaky?"

She didn't get time to answer before Professor McGonagall burst into the room, closely followed by Snape and Quirrell.

"What on earth were you thinking of?"

McGonagall shouting at them saw Harry open his eyes. Taking in the scene that greeted him, he then sought an answer from the girl whose lap he was still resting on. "Hermione, please tell me it's Halloween?"

"It is."

"Thank god for that. Wicked costumes, by the way, you three. Have to say though, the guy in the Hulk suit has all of you beat."


	2. Gandalf and the Grouch

**Chapter 2 - Gandalf and the Grouch**

Harry was still lying with his head on Hermione's lap, ignoring everything and everyone else around him except the girl who was currently his only anchor to reality. "Hermione, where are we?"

"We're in Hogwarts..."

"Mister Potter, are you injured?"

"Hermione, who is that?"

"That's Professor McGonagall, our head of house. Harry was banged about pretty badly, Professor. It seems to have affected his memory."

"Oh please, that's the most feeble excuse I've ever heard. Potter is clearly just trying to avoid being punished for this fiasco tonight."

Ignoring the sneering man in black, Harry had yet another question for Hermione. "Who's the grouch?"

Snape didn't give her time to answer. "That will be fifty points from Gryffindor for disrespecting a professor."

"He's a professor? You've got to be joking me. Who's this Gryffindor and why should I care if the grouch punishes him?"

The Snape sneer was now on full power. "Another fifty points from Gryffindor!"

Minerva wasn't about to stand for that. "Severus, the boy is clearly confused..."

"Ma'am, I'm way beyond confused. I'm in a place I don't recognise, surrounded by people I don't know and being grouched to about who knows what. Hermione being here is the only reason I'm not screaming for the police."

"You recognise Miss Granger?"

"She's my girlfriend, ma'am. Of course I recognise her."

"When did she become your girlfriend? Mister Potter, I'm not prying. I only ask to try and discover what you can actually remember."

"Last night. I remember sitting holding Hermione's hand and asking if she would be my girlfriend, I was so happy when she said yes."

"Where did this happen?"

"It was in some room I don't really recognise, but I remember the important bit."

The Head of Gryffindor then switched her attention to Hermione, looking for an answer. History once more repeated itself as a twelve year old Hermione Granger lied to her head of house in the same girl's bathroom. Hermione would like to think that this time around she was a little more convincing.

"We sat in the Gryffindor common room late last night. Neither of us could sleep so we got to talking. Both of us were feeling lonely and realising how much we had in common, Harry then asked me to be his girlfriend. Of course I said yes."

"She's lying! Harry went to bed at the same time as the rest of us…"

That argument was quickly shot down by Hermione, using something she knew Ron couldn't refute. "…and we could still hear you snoring all the way down in the common room."

Harry now sat up from Hermione's lap, focusing on Ron. "Look ginger, I don't know what your problem is but it stops now. You've shouted at my girlfriend and then called her a liar. Whoever you are, that was your last warning."

"Mister Potter, You and Mister Weasley have been friends since you both got here."

"As I just told you, Ma'am, I have no memory of where here even is. I just watched my girlfriend wave a little stick in the air to save me from whatever this beast happens to be, I'm pretty freaked out at the moment."

This saw all but Snape gasp in astonishment, though Minerva found her voice first. "Mister Potter, You don't remember about magic? You don't know you're a wizard?"

He looked to Hermione for how to play this, she of course didn't disappoint. "You're a wizard, Harry, and a powerful one." Just like last night, her hand was on his cheek as she told him that. Also like last night, Harry leaned into her touch.

Hermione was ecstatic that she had managed to throw them both back in time. That his scar was the same as older Harry's also gave her hope the horcrux had been eliminated when they impressed on their younger selves. That his memories hadn't restored was not a surprise, at best it had been a fifty-fifty shot. This set-back was compensated for by the date of their arrival, it really could have been anytime in their first year of Hogwarts. That they had arrived on Halloween of their first year was the best she could have hoped for. Harry only had two months of lessons to catch up on and nothing too major had happened yet. Hermione would reconsider that last thought in the morning.

"That troll had me trapped, Harry. You tried to distract it and then jumped on its back to save me. Your wand is actually still stuck up its nose. Do you think you can stand up now?"

Hermione helped her shaky boyfriend to his feet, a harsh glance from Harry in Ron's direction indicated he needed no help from there.

As Hermione tried to pull Harry's wand out of the troll's left nostril, the creature gave a low moan. As she jerked the wand clear, McGonagall and Snape both hit the troll with stunners to ensure it wasn't getting back up anytime soon.

Since Severus now had his wand in his hand, he decided to end this farce once and for all. A low powered legillimens would tell him exactly what Potter was up to.

Hermione cast a cleaning charm on the piece of holly, with a feather from Fawkes encased in it, before handing the wand over to Harry. The wand bonding with its master provided a light show like none of them had ever seen before as Harry's body was instantly bathed in magical energy. That this was the same instant Snape chose to launch his attack was unfortunate - unfortunate for the potions master that is.

As magic flooded through his body, Harry's head tilted back as he let a loud roar out - and so much more. Snape was blasted back into the bathroom wall, sliding down to the floor only to find a golden stag standing there waiting on him. Prongs lowered his noble head and pushed forward with those magnificent antlers, a glowing tip spearing into Snape's arm - directly on his dark mark.

His scream of intense pain rang throughout the castle, and this time Quirrell really did pass out.

As Harry's light show and glow faded, so did Prongs. He opened his eyes to see even more casualties on the bathroom floor. "That was some headrush, what happened to them?"

Hermione took his arm, to offer reassurance and keep Harry from swaying on his feet. "You remember I said you were a powerful wizard, do you believe me now?"

"I'll never doubt you again."

Minerva was standing in a wrecked girls' bathroom. Two professors and a troll were on the floor injured or unconscious while Ronald Weasley was trying to melt into a wall so as not to be noticed - and those weren't even the worst of her problems. She was saved from having to act by Albus and Filius racing into the bathroom, though Harry's comment left her not knowing what to say.

"Hermione, I think Gandalf and Bilbo just stole it from the Hulk. Why do I get the feeling they're not dressed up for Halloween?"

Hermione was trying not to snigger, she was also amazed at how well Harry was keeping his cool. Giving his arm a slight squeeze in appreciation, she fed him the information he needed. "The purple Gandalf is Professor Dumbledore while the tiny footed hobbit is Professor Flitwick."

"Albus, Potter here suffered a bang to the head and it's apparently affected his memory. He couldn't remember he was a wizard, far less coming to Hogwarts. The only person he recognises is Miss Granger, his girlfriend."

Hermione, under the auspices of checking Harry was indeed fine, had cleverly placed herself between her boyfriend and Dumbledore. She now stood defiantly facing the headmaster, ready for the gentle mental probe she knew was coming.

Something about tonight smelled worse than this troll, Albus needed to get to the bottom of it. Ronald Weasley was practically broadcasting what he'd seen here in the bathroom like some low wattage television station. It was the girl though who caught and held Albus' attention. He had picked up on her move to protect Harry, placing herself as a physical shield. Taking a peep inside her head rocked the old wizard back on his heels. A raised eyebrow produced the slightest of nods from Miss Granger before they were interrupted.

Severus staggered to his feet, a hateful sneer plastered all over his face. "Potter, you attacked a professor. I'll see you expelled for that..."

As he staggered toward Harry, Albus casually plucked Snape's wand out his still shaky hand. A quick prior incantato told the headmaster everything he needed to know.

A shocked Severus then demanded the return of his property. "Headmaster, my wand..."

"Ah Severus, that of course depends on you. If you wish to proceed with these claims against Mister Potter, then I'll need to hold on to this until an investigation can take place. Evidence, you understand."

Minerva also recognised the last spell Severus' wand had cast, and it wasn't too difficult to deduce who it would have been cast at. "Mister Potter rebonding with his wand produced quite the reaction. His magic would also react to protect himself."

Hermione was still standing in front of Harry, ready to go head to head with Snape if necessary. She didn't spot the result of the prior incantato but also didn't need to, Snape was the one person she was sure would look into their minds. There hadn't been time to coach Harry on the basic steps he could take to avoid it yet, far less begin the process of constructing mental shields.

Spotting the girl's attitude toward her potions professor forced Albus to react, now he was glad he had. Severus was forced to withdraw his complaint, and then found his wand being returned to him. "Could I impose on you Severus to ensure Quirinus gets back to his quarters? It would appear he's had quite the night too." The defence professor was groaning in pain as he regained consciousness.

Turning to his deputy, Albus continued taking control of the situation. "Minerva, would you and Filius deal with the troll and repair in here? I'm assuming Mister Weasley can make his own way back to Gryffindor Tower, I'll take Mister Potter and Miss Granger to the infirmary."

"I wasn't aware Miss Granger had been injured?"

"Mister Potter can't remember anything about Hogwarts, other than Miss Granger. To separate them at the moment would be rather harsh, don't you think so, Minerva?"

A pair of 'thank you's' coming from the young couple was all Albus needed to hear, he led them out of there.

Albus was more worried now than at any other time he could remember. That Miss Granger had a full set of occlumency shields was an impossibility. That she'd clearly been taught the art by a master was beyond refute, especially since Albus could easily recognise who her instructor had been - himself. Albus must also have passed on the instructions on how to accomplish what she had clearly pulled off here tonight, this was what terrified him the most. Had things become so bad he'd been forced to resort to the tactics of utter desperation.

"I'm assuming I told you not to pass any information onto me?"

"You made me take an oath, Professor, an oath worded in such a way this version of you can't release me from it. That same oath also prevents me from telling Harry certain things too, at least until he can keep others out. It's the one thing you were insistent upon, Sir."

He nodded his head in understanding. "I'm also going to assume that Poppy won't be able to help Harry with his memory problem so I'm excusing both of you classes tomorrow. I want you sticking close to Harry and have him somewhat prepared for his classes on Monday. Well, at least knowing where the classrooms are and who teaches the subject. I imagine you will have a lot of other things to talk about too."

They entered the infirmary and, after Poppy's scans were all coming back clear, Albus explained what he wanted to happen. This was how Harry and Hermione found themselves sitting on adjoining beds and eating a late supper. Hermione had a charm raised so they could talk freely.

"Gandalf knows what we did?" Harry just needed his guess confirmed, he was pretty sure he was right.

"Yeah, I think it really scared him. I've never seen Dumbledore slap Snape down before."

"The Grouch? What's his problem anyway?"

"He hated your father, and you're the spitting image of James Potter."

"What? And someone as petty as that is allowed to work with children? Hermione, I think you know I never expected us to be here. Now that we are, this whole place seems like a nuthouse. That thing in the bathroom, talking portraits, ghosts floating about, staircases that move whenever they feel like it - to wherever they want to go. I'm trying to make sense of this but there just doesn't seem to be any. I wasn't joking back there, you are the only thing currently keeping me sane."

"I was the same when I first got here. With everyone else walking about just accepting this as 'normal', you soon find yourself with a new normal too."

Harry was prevented from saying anything more by the arrival of Yoda, he just appeared between their beds. "Miss Hermione..."

"Dobby, how do you know my name?"

"This is Dobby?" Hermione's nod saw Harry continue. "I saw this little guy throw those three who attacked us right out of Stonehenge, just before we left."

"Dobby, were you inside the stone circle when we left?"

"Yes, Miss Hermione. Dobby has come back in time with you."

"Oh Dobby, does this mean you're back under the control of your old family?"

"Harry Potter freed Dobby, Dobby is still a free elf. Dobby changed some kitchen waste to look like his body, they will look and find it when Dobby doesn't answer their call. They will vanish the body and then try to find another elf. Dobby is never going back there."

Hermione was now down on her knees, hugging the little guy. "That's wonderful news, Dobby. I promise getting you away from them was top of my list. Harry, this is our good friend Dobby."

"I'm sorry I don't remember you, Dobby, but Hermione has told me how special you are. I know we're going to be great friends." Harry held his hand out for Dobby to shake but the emotional elf sprang at Harry and hugged him.

Hermione was wiping a tear from her eye at their reunion when a thought struck her. "Harry, I used to employ Dobby but I don't think my pocket money would cover it. You have a vault at Gringotts and I know Dobby would rather work for you."

"You must be getting fed up with me asking all these questions but a vault at Gringotts means nothing to me."

While the three sat and chatted, trying to fill in the blanks for Harry, Poppy would just glance over from her station. She couldn't see the elf, just the two first years sitting talking instead of resting. The headmaster himself had stopped her administering a dose of dreamless sleep potion. After she said there was nothing to be done for Mister Potter's memory problem, Dumbledore decided these two needed the time together. The healer couldn't see the benefit of this lack of treatment but then the headmaster had his own ways.

-oOoOo-

Albus had asked the four heads of house to meet in his office, tonight's events needed to be dealt with. "The troll incident, while being serious in its own right, has left us with a most unusual problem. Mister Potter was injured in his attempts to save Miss Granger, leaving him with no memories of Hogwarts or even magic..."

"Have we discovered why the three of them were in that bathroom, or can Harry Potter just do whatever he likes?"

Looking over his glasses, Albus pinned his potions master with a steely stare. He then passed on information he had learned from a slight scan of the Weasley lad. "Miss Granger had been upset by something said to her during the day, she was in that bathroom crying. Realising that she knew nothing about a troll being in the school, Harry raced there to warn her. None of them were looking for the troll, it was just their bad luck it found them."

Severus though was not for giving an inch. He had been made to look a fool earlier and wanted someone punished for it, someone called Potter. "Why didn't he inform a member of staff or a prefect? The school has systems in place for events such as this. Not Potter though, he's too busy trying to play the hero..."

There was steel now in Albus' voice too as he cut the legs from under Snape, much to the surprise and delight of the other three heads of house. "Yes the school has systems in place, all of them failed. No troll should be able to get past the school's defences, it did. That a first year was missing from the feast should have been noticed by prefects or staff, it wasn't. Those same prefects and staff then didn't see another two first years breaking away to go and help the missing girl. There were multiple failures tonight, yet you, Severus, seem determined to blame Harry Potter for everything. It hasn't escaped my notice either that you tried to take a hundred points from a boy who didn't know who you were, far less he was a student at Hogwarts."

This had Severus on his feet. "You can dress it up any way you like but Potter will be receiving no special treatment from me when he enters my class..."

"...which is why Harry won't be entering your class again." Albus' declaration shocked the potions master. Dumbledore wanted there to be no misunderstandings here though, so spelt out exactly why he was doing this.

"In the two months that Harry has been at Hogwarts, you have demonstrated your inability to treat him with the same respect as say Mister Malfoy. Harry's memory loss is forcing me to make decisions, and this is one of them. Mister Potter and Miss Granger are no longer your students."

Still on his feet, Severus weighed up his options. "Since he is no longer my student, there really is no reason then for me to be here. If you will excuse me, I can think of better ways to spend what's left of my evening than sitting here listening to the special treatment that's sure to be arranged for the Potter brat." With as much dignity as possible, Severus left the headmaster's office.

Albus' glasses were now lying on his desk as he massaged the bridge of his nose. Minerva recognised how hard that had been for her friend and boss, she thought he'd made the right decision.

"Thank you for that, Albus. Severus looks at Harry and sees James, and we all know how much those two hated one another."

"Minerva, I'm beginning to think we've been failing that lad since his parents were murdered. Well it's time for that to change. Both he and Miss Granger are excused classes tomorrow while she reacquaints Harry with Hogwarts. Starting Monday, they will attend classes as normal but not take part in the lessons. Miss Granger will be giving him one to one tuition in each class until Mister Potter is at the same level as the rest of the first years. I propose we review this on a weekly basis, though I would expect Harry to be up to speed before December is upon us. Miss Granger is quite the driven individual."

All three heads of house agreed with that though Filius had a couple of questions. "Miss Granger is certainly driven but won't spending all her time working with Mister Potter affect her own studies? I also noticed you didn't mention who you were going to have teach them potions."

Since Albus knew he was dealing with a couple of time travellers, he was already certain Miss Granger could currently pass her N.E.W.T.s. Whatever procedure they used to achieve that most difficult of feats would have needed skill sets way beyond those taught at Hogwarts. "Miss Granger assures me her own studies won't be affected and I shall teach both of them potions."

While two of his heads of house could only stare at the headmaster, Pomona Sprout let go with a deep belly laugh. "Oh I love it. I can almost hear Severus' mutterings about special treatment from here. You're setting a dangerous precedent however. When this news gets out, you'll have three quarters of first year wanting to transfer to your class."

The twinkle was back in Albus' eyes. "Then Severus will need to behave himself, otherwise we four might be inundated with requests from first year potions students."

-oOoOo-

Rather than have the rumour mill working overtime, Dumbledore stood at breakfast and announced what had happened to Harry Potter last night. The headmaster had barely sat back down when Hermione led Harry into the great hall. The fact that everyone was staring at them was soon blocked out by the six older Gryffindors that quickly had the young couple surrounded.

"Harry, please tell us this is a prank. We play Slytherin on Saturday."

Hermione was holding his left hand, leaving his right free to be offered. "Hi, I don't know who you are, or what you just said. I'm Harry Potter, pleased to meet you."

Oliver shook the offered hand but his mind was clearly elsewhere. "We can get the pitch tonight, all weekend and most nights next week. It's gonna take a lot of hard work but we might still be able to pull this off..."

Hermione squeezed Harry's hand in their prearranged signal that she would handle this. She had actually forgotten all about quidditch. "Whoa there, Oliver. I hope you weren't expecting Harry to be available for all these extra practices..."

"Of course I was. Why else do you think I was holding them?"

"To train a different seeker? Harry has no memories of Hogwarts or even magic. He can't afford to waste all that time practicing quidditch."

The group increased in size as Ron suddenly pushed his way to the front. "Practicing quidditch is not a waste of time, spending all his time with you is. Harry mate, you need to get away from the bookworm. Granger will ruin you..."

Ron suddenly had a face full of an angry Harry Potter. "Back right off, ginger. I've had about all I can take of you." He then turned his attention and anger onto the bigger boy. "I don't know who you are, since you were too busy trying to arrange my life to introduce yourself. Whatever you need me for, so not happening. You clearly don't give a shit what happened to me, you're far too busy figuring out how my situation will affect you. To bad, you seem like a nice guy too. Hermione, where do we sit. I'm starving."

Knowing how much Harry enjoyed flying, and remembering an incident from their second year, Hermione threw Wood a bone. "Oliver, your seeker is clearly unable to play. There are procedures that exist to change the schedule, moving Gryffindor's first game to later in the season."

On hearing that, Oliver shot toward McGonagall while Alicia, Angelina and Katie all reintroduced themselves to Harry. The twins were busy dragging their young brother away, trying to explain that since Harry couldn't remember him, Ron wasn't exactly making a very good first or second impression on the boy who was his friend.

The three chasers sat with the couple for breakfast, telling Harry all about quiddich and their fanatical captain. A relieved Oliver actually came over to apologise to Harry, and reintroduce himself.

"Three heads of house agree this is an unusual situation, and that Harry certainly isn't fit to play on Saturday. He'll actually need to take flying lessons again with Madam Hooch before he's signed off to play quidditch. Our first game isn't until January now. You still want to give the position of seeker a try, Harry?"

Harry looked toward Hermione for advice, knowing she'd given their strongest no signal just a moment ago. "We're gonna need a couple of weeks to see how catching up with lessons go. Then we could arrange those flying lessons. After that, it would be up to you to decide if this is something you think you would enjoy."

That sounded good enough for Oliver. "I'm certainly prepared to wait a couple of weeks to see if we still have a seeker. It will also still give me time if I need to find someone else."

With that settled, Gryffindor house could relax and enjoy breakfast. Hermione introduced Harry to the rest of their Gryffindor yearmates. Only Neville was close enough for Harry to shake his hand, the rest got a 'hi'.

As breakfast finished, Hermione led Harry away to meet someone very important. Noticing it was quiet here, Harry asked the question that had been puzzling him. "Quidditch sounds like a lot of fun, why did you warn me off it?"

"I had actually forgotten about quidditch, and Hogwarts obsession with the game. You loved playing, and were very good at it. In your first game though, next Saturday, someone tried to kill you by jinxing your broom."

"What? Are you serious? What happened?"

"Oh, I spotted who I thought was doing it. I snuck over there and set their robes on fire. The jinx was broken and you went on to win the match."

"You saved me?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Harry. We've actually saved each other on quite a few occasions."

"Hermione, the more you tell me, the more I keep thinking Hogwarts isn't for me and I should go straight home. You could never be a saleswomen."

She gave a little smirk and kissed his cheek. "I got you here, didn't I?"

Harry had no answer to that, he had no answer to where she was leading him either. When commanded to hold his arm out, the most beautiful owl he'd ever seen flew down and gently landed on it.

"Harry, this is Hedwig. She's a post owl but she's also your familiar."

"She's beautiful, that's what she is. Hello girl, I'm sorry I don't remember you. That just means we're going to get to know one another all over again. Hermione, why do I feel as if Hedwig understood every word I just said?"

She handed Harry an owl treat for Hedwig as she answered. "Probably because she did, our girl here is the smartest owl I've ever known. Sorry about the 'our' bit, force of habit. When you went away, Hedwig stayed with me for the next three and a half years. I left her in France to come and find you."

"In this world, I seem to have a thing for beautiful and smart girls. Hermione and Hedwig."

Both his girls took that as a compliment.

-oOoOo-

A morning of sightseeing and orientating Harry to the castle was followed by showing him inside Gryfindor and his dorm. "I fancy a shower before lunch, would Miss Granger care to join me?"

A blushing Hermione was left bumbling for words. "No, not in the boys' showers. Oh Harry, I don't know how to deal with this. Inside I'm still nineteen. I look at you and feel such a perv for wanting to do things with an eleven year old boy."

Taking his girlfriend in his arms, Harry offered his solution. "I look in your eyes and just see Hermione. Not a twelve or nineteen year old, I just see you." He then kissed her not as an eleven year old, but as Harry. "I was joking about sharing the shower. I fear I would be back to disappointing my girlfriend again. This is one of those conversations we're going to sit down and have but I'm happy just knowing you're in my life."

Hermione then returned his kiss. "I don't think I can give this up, though we'll have to find a nice quiet place to keep ourselves in practice. McGonagall would have a fit if she spotted us doing more than holding hands and the occasional peck on the cheek. I love your idea about the shower but think I need to stick to the one in the girls dorm for the moment. Oh, and the stairs are spelled not to let any boys into our side of the tower. An alarm will sound and you will be magically flung out."

"Again, Hermione, you're not selling Hogwarts to me…"

She kissed him once more and then left to take her own shower.

Lunch was spent surrounded by their fellow Gryffindor first years, sans Ronald Weasley. He sat at the other end of the table and scowled.

Hermione wanted to give Harry a few days to make his own mind up about things before she started filling him in on the background of those around him. Harry was a different person now to the eleven year old version everyone had known before they came back in time. It simply wasn't possible for Harry to act like someone he not only didn't know but had never actually met. Allowing him to form his own opinions of people let them see Harry was indeed different, and then put that difference down to the accident he had with the troll. So far it was working, though a major test just presented itself.

"So Potter, you can't remember the weasel but still end up with a mudblood. You just can't seem to catch a break."

Harry dealt with this approach the same way he had with everyone else, he stood and offered the blond boy his hand.

"Hi, I'm Harry Potter."

Caught flat footed, Draco suddenly realised what an opportunity he was being presented with here. "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. I don't know what they've been telling you, but Harry Potter is an important person in our world. You shouldn't be hanging about with mudbloods and riffraff. I know all the right people and can help you there…"

As they shook hands, Harry's grip tightened. "You're right about one thing, I know nothing of this world you talk about. Would you care to explain the terms weasel and mudblood to me?"

This time Hermione helped Harry out. "The word mudblood is a term used by the worst sort of pureblood for people like me and your mother, people born with magic of non magical parents. Draco thinks people like us have no place here…"

"Neither you do. I'm proud of my heritage, it shouldn't be sullied by having trash like you inside Hogwarts. Give me my hand back, Potter."

"What are my options, Hermione?"

"Well, Draco already challenged you to a wizard's duel - which he didn't turn up for."

"So, an arrogant coward who thinks he can say what he likes with impunity. Hermione, can you say ding-ding?"

"Ding-ding?"

Harry let Draco's hand go, just as his left caught the blond prick on the chin. This was immediately followed by a right to the nose and Malfoy began his journey to the floor. His two bruiser buddies had already been stepping forward before Harry plugged Draco, they pushed past their swaying leader to find they were expected.

Changing tactics, Harry stepped into the first one and had landed two blows to his gut before the big guy even registered it. A third blow was aimed up and under his ribs, knocking all the breath out the bigger boy. Harry was about to take on the other one, Crabbe he though someone called him, when the headmaster intervened.

Dumbledore's wand had both of them frozen in position as he made his way toward the fight, their two heads of house right behind him. Draco decided this was too good an opportunity to pass up, Potter had his back to him and was frozen in place.

Hermione could easily have non verbally batted the spell away, not something she wanted to do. Instead she made a production of shouting 'Protego' to shield Harry's back. She also made sure that Draco's spell was reflected straight back at him. Hearing the little shite scream as his flawless alabaster skin sprouted painful boils, boils that then burst and covered him in puss, was delightful. it was clear Snape wanted to start deducting points and dishing out detentions, the headmaster and his deputy standing there denied him that option.

Releasing both boys before casting a spell that put Malfoy into an enchanted sleep, Dumbledore then wanted answers. "Mister Potter, could you explain what happened here…"

"Draco can't answer for himself…"

McGonagall jumped all over Snape before he could say another word. "The reason your student can't say anything is because he tried to curse a fellow student in the back. Twenty points for that shield, Miss Granger. Very well done."

Dumbledore hadn't moved his attention from Harry, noticing the boy had his head down. Miss Granger had obviously already coached him to avoid eye contact with certain people. It was Miss Granger Albus was watching however, using his peripheral vision. She was the one who knew what the future held, not Harry. Her animosity to Severus and now the young Malfoy heir was pointing out where the future trouble would come from. It would appear his hope both his potions master and Draco could be brought to the light were in vain.

Albus hoped he could gain both Harry and Hermione's trust during their time spent learning to brew potions, he knew that trust would be vital against the hard times ahead.

Thinking Dumbledore was waiting on his answer, Harry gave it. "Sir, I don't know any of these three, so there was no animosity from me. Malfoy came over and made a derogatory mark concerning my girlfriend and mother. I had to ask what a mudblood was before I punched him in the face. His two bodyguards were just doing their jobs, though not very well. This is a whole new world to me and I don't know how things work or even what certain words mean yet. In my world, coming up to someone and insulting their mother and girlfriend will always result in a punch to the face."

Snape tried to turn the situation around. "We only have Potter's word this is what happened."

"Sir, I didn't even know the word until Malfoy said it. I would also like to apologise for calling you a grouch. In my world it just means grumpy. If it has different meanings here then I apologise."

The headmaster's eyes were twinkling with mirth as he then made his decision. "Since Mister Malfoy tried to curse Mister Potter in the back, while I had him immobilised too, I'm inclined to believe this version of events. Mister Potter will receive one detention with his head of house for fighting. Mister Malfoy would have received the exact same punishment, if he hadn't cast that curse. He will now serve two detentions with his head of house. His two friends were merely drawn into a situation not of their making, I see no need to hand them any punishments - this time."

Nodding his acceptance, Harry agreed that was fair. "In my old school, I would have been punished for fighting too. Ma'am, when would you like me to serve my detention?"

"Two o'clock, Sunday afternoon. Miss Granger may accompany you if she wishes, we will be working on transfiguration until dinner time."

Severus didn't say anything, he just levitated Draco out of the hall - presumably to the infirmary.

With the excitement over, Harry heard a voice he was coming to know. "Harry, that was bloody brilliant mate. You too, Hermione. Malfoy covered in boils is my new happy thought."

"Still think she's ruining me?" When Ron could only blush by way of answer, Harry offered his hand. "Hi, I'm Harry Potter."

Ron gladly took the offered hand, sorry that the class warning bell meant he had to leave before he could say much more.

Hermione led Harry out into the clocktower courtyard, she had a feeling they would need privacy for this. "Where did you learn to box like that?"

"Oh, sparring with my cousin. Dudley said I had the fastest hands of anyone he'd ever seen. After sparring with me, he said it was like his opponents were telegraphing their moves. Uncle Vernon converted the garage into a gym. I used it mainly to keep fit but Dudley's been heavily into boxing for years. He represented the school and even made county level. What's wrong, Hermione? It's like you don't believe me..."

"How well do you get on with the Dursleys?"

"Like all families, we're not perfect but do our best. Dud and me are more like brothers, and my aunt and uncle are the only parents I've ever known. Hermione, you're scaring me here..."

"Shite Harry, I'm so sorry. When the ministry altered your memories, they obviously would need to do the same to the Dursleys. The family you just described bear no resemblance to the people you told us about, the people in this timeline. Your aunt and uncle hate magic, they knew you were magical so passed that hatred onto you. Rather in the same way Snape does, only you don't have to live with him. They send you fifty pence for Christmas, knowing you can't spend it here. This coming summer, after a magical accident in their home, you end up with bars on your bedroom window and being passed food through a cat flap they cut in your locked door."

She couldn't look at Harry as Hermione continued with what she knew. "When you were smaller they would palm you off to some kookie neighbour while they took Dudley on outings. At school, Dudley used to beat up anyone who tried to befriend you..."

"Well that's just fucking peachy! My entire life, one big fucking lie from start to finish. My mum and dad were taken from me as a baby, now I've just lost the only family I've ever known. My Aunt Petunia held me in her arms, kissed my cheek and wished me luck as I headed off to uni. Uncle Vernon ruffled my hair and said he was so proud of me. Dudley joked I'd come running home first time I had my arm up a cow's backside to the elbow, Aunt Petunia laughed and said I'd better wash my hands. Are you saying they had to be magically spelled to act like that?"

Harry was now in tears so Hermione tried to sugar coat it as best she could. "The ministry would need to build an entire past where there was no magic involved. Take away the magic, the Dursleys would have treated you normally."

"Then why the fuck would I want magic? What has it ever done for me? I need to go and think about this, I'll see you later."

With that, Harry left. Sitting there alone, Hermione's own tears started to fall. She couldn't stop them and was soon sobbing into her hands. Hermione then felt a familiar pair of arms circle around her.

"I'm an idiot. A selfish fucking idiot, who's quite possibly the worst boyfriend in the entire world. I never even thought about what it's cost you to come back, what you left behind. I was too busy thinking about poor me. Your reaction to that Malfoy boy also speaks of a history. This can't be fun for you either, then I go and unload all my shite on you."

Hermione started giving Harry some of the background he needed to understand her reaction. "At the end of our third year, I smacked Malfoy on the jaw - in front of some of his friends too. He's not the type to forgive and forget, and then when you didn't come back for fifth year there was no one to stand up to him. His father has the minister in his very deep and well-lined pockets, Lucius Malfoy was probably behind getting you kicked out the magical world."

She needed a few steadying breaths before Hermione could continue with the next bit, seeing the little bastard this morning just brought it all back. "Draco threatened that he and his friends would rape me before the year was out, only Dobby kept me one step ahead of them. He would keep watch and popped me to safety a couple of times before they could spring their trap. Dumbledore made me a portkey to France so I wouldn't have to take the express at the end of term, I never came back."

Harry kissed away her tears. "Yes you did, you came back for me. Now I know why you were terrified of being caught. You wouldn't have made that Azkaban place, would you?"

A shudder past through Hermione as she held him close and shook her head.

Harry asked the obvious follow on question. "What about your mum and dad?"

"Dad knew my intentions and tried to support them. Mum just kept trying to set me up with other boys in the hope I would forget all about you. It wasn't that she didn't like you, my parents only met you a couple of times - and then only for a minute or two. It was more she understood how dangerous Hermione Granger coming back to Britain would be, and didn't want me to come."

Both now needed the contact of their arms around each other, Harry's thoughts had drifted in a different direction however. "We came back to change things, make things better. Hermione, do you think we can change my aunt, uncle and cousin? I was thinking of writing to them, tell them I was in an accident that affected my memory, see what they write back. Will you help me?"

"Of course I will, just don't expect too much from them. My Harry used to consider Hogwarts his home..."

"This just gets crazier and crazier..."

Hermione managed a giggle at that, wiping away her tears before offering a suggestion. "Like I said, your aunt and uncle hate magic. Having Hedwig turn up with a letter for them would be a very bad idea. How about I write home, explain a little of the situation to my parents and have them send some normal stationary. You write your letter, stick it in an envelope and we'll send it to my mum for posting. Your aunt can post any reply back to my house, Hedwig would then bring it here."

"Beautiful and smart, that's my Hermione."

"Harry, I didn't think I was beautiful at nineteen - and certainly not now."

"My Hermione is beautiful, brilliant, brunet, bookish, bashful and I've run out of B's. Thankfully there are another twenty five letters in the alphabet to come to my rescue."

They kissed and held each other, both recognising a crisis had just been averted. "We should have realised that going all 'back to the future' wouldn't be easy."

"If it was easy, Harry, those would have been some incredibly short movies."

"Yeah, we're here for the long haul. With me being eleven and you twelve, we don't have any other options. You're stuck with me now, Granger, and there's no getting away."

"I'll start writing home today. I'll wait until you're invited to spend Christmas with us before telling them you're my boyfriend though. I have no intention of spending Christmas anywhere but with you."

Harry at least had the thought of spending Christmas with Hermione to cling to. It was hard though to think all those memories of Christmases past were either magically induced or just plain lies. Someone was going to pay for all the shite they'd heaped on him. At the moment the only thing Harry could be certain of was that the wonderful witch in his arms loved him. That was going to be the foundation he built a new life on - their new future.

"You know something, you really are my density."

This earned Harry a kiss, and a quip from his girlfriend. "First time I've ever felt happy at being considered dense."


	3. Dobby's on his Game

**Chapter 3 - Dobby's on his Game**

Harry and Hermione were sitting with their heads together, studying for their first classes in the morning. Harry though kept getting distracted by the glower aimed in their direction.

"What is his problem? One minute he's all over us, next minute you'd think we'd kicked his puppy. Is he bipolar or something? The last thing we need is a ginger version of Malfoy in our own house."

"Ron's eleven, Harry, and he thinks you still are too. This time last Sunday evening, you would have been sitting right beside him and just generally goofing off. He's also jealous. Not only are we getting out of Snape's class, Professor Dumbledore is going to teach us potions. We'll face a lot more jealous stares when that news gets out."

Harry had been delighted to hear that from Professor McGonagall today at his detention, he still had a worry though. "Do you think Gandalf's up to something?"

"Dumbledore always does things for a reason but I don't think it's something you need to worry about. While I'm trying not to give you a read on what I think about people, I know Dumbledore will be watching me too - purely to see what he can learn. Albus Dumbledore is the best hope we've got of pulling this off. At the moment, only he has the magical and political power to stand up to the ministry and Malfoy's malignant ministrations."

"At the moment?"

"You'll get there one day, that's why they moved to take you out early. We have time though, Harry, this is something else I don't want you worrying about."

"Meanwhile, you're gonna worry for the both of us. That's not fair to you. When can we start on these lessons so I can be told what you know? Then we can make the decisions between us."

"As soon as we get you up to speed with your coursework, then we can shift our focus. With you spending Christmas with me, we can even work on it then too."

"We haven't heard back from your parents about that yet…"

"Harry, we will be staying together over Christmas. I'll miss the bloody train and stay here with you if that's what it takes. I'm sure my mum and dad will love me having a friend home for the holidays, hence why we're waiting until later to say you're my boyfriend. I think you are going to ask me on the train heading home for Christmas, I of course will say yes…"

"You look as if butter wouldn't melt in your mouth, yet I knew I was in trouble the moment I walked out of the uni bar with you. Harry, I said to myself, this lady is going to steal your heart. I didn't know then it already belonged to you."

"Mister 'I've got no lines' Potter, that was beautiful." A peck on the lips just seemed to increase the ferocity of Ron's glare, though neither of them was complaining now.

"Last night Ron mentioned something about a giant three-headed dog that's hidden in the school. He seemed to think this was something we should investigate, I told him no bloody chance. He also seemed to think this was something you knew about, claiming both you and Neville were there when we found it."

"Yes it is something I know about and I agree totally with you, there's no bloody chance of us going anywhere near it."

"Eh, he also said you thought getting expelled was worse than being killed. Did you really say that?"

Though blushing, Hermione was smiling too. "Not one of my better moments. Then again you two used to drive me nuts. I was obsessed with learning and thought all figures of authority were perfect. The ministry railroading you finally cured me of that last one, and I think I've got a better handle on the first."

"Have you got a handle on what we're going to do to stop me being railroaded again? I'm not asking for any specifics here, more a general idea to tide me over until I can be told what you know."

Hermione was chewing her bottom lip, a sure sign she was deep in thought. "Last time all our efforts seemed to be concentrated on merely staying alive, with everyone else calling the shots. I'm proposing we let Dumbledore deal with Voldemort, that wasn't who railroaded you anyway. We need a plan for fixing the real problem, namely Lucius Malfoy and his control over the ministry. We're nowhere near ready to take that on yet but I have a few ideas. Since Dobby used to be their house elf, he may be able to help us immensely with that. I don't know how Dobby coming back in time will have affected his former bond. He might not be able to tell us anything, or everything we want to know. That's something we can discuss with him over Christmas. I don't want Dobby seen inside Hogwarts, he's our secret weapon."

"I saw the little guy toss those three wizards right out of Stonehenge like they were nothing, I'm really glad he's on our side."

"If he spends Christmas with us too, you're guaranteed to be welcome at the Grangers anytime. House elves are at their happiest when they're working and helping their family. Dobby used to have our house in France spic and span, with meals on the table whenever we were hungry. My parents were in absolute awe of the little guy, their appreciation of his work making Dobby even happier."

This left Harry shaking his head in disbelief. "I've come to the conclusion that magic and common sense can't exist in the same universe. To have one, you have to totally suspend belief in the other."

"That might be the most profound thing you've ever said."

"Hermione, they don't let stupid people study to be vets. I'm no longer eleven and now only goof off with you."

Seeing the time, they packed away their books. A chaste goodnight kiss and it was off to bed. Hermione had promised Harry one of the first things she would teach him would be a silencing charm. The first year Gryffindor's dorm sounded like a woodworking shop some nights, with Ron giving a router a run for its money on decibel levels.

-oOoOo-

After Hermione had managed to talk Harry past the why in 'why the hell would he want to change a match into a needle' in that afternoon detention with Professor McGonagall, she discovered this version of the boy she loved was a whole different animal.

The Harry she had known always had a close connection with his magic, being able to cast a corporeal patronus charm while still only thirteen came to mind. This 'back to the future' version still came with that ability, along with a boost to his magical power, but now had an entirely different attitude to studying that Hermione could only describe as oh so sexy. She didn't need to be swept off her feet with grandiose romantic gestures, sitting holding hands with her boyfriend while they studied was the height of romance as far as Hermione Granger was concerned. Harry, under her tutorage, was flying through the first year work they'd supposedly already covered at a rate of knots.

Herbology only needed one lesson for her to run him through the basics before they were both able to rejoin the class, Astronomy was the same. History of magic was purely a case of reading the textbook, no one actually listened to Binns. Charms, transfiguration and defence would see that subject's professor set up a silencing charm for the corner of the room they were working in, allowing Hermione to push Harry with revision while the professor concentrated on the rest of the class.

Harry was up to speed in transfiguration and charms in two weeks, she deliberately dragged defence to three. While delighted Harry had no reaction to the presence of the turban wearing Quirrell, she didn't want Harry performing too well in front of the possessed professor.

Potions tuition from Dumbledore was everything Hermione had hoped for, it was easily their most enjoyable class of the week. While no one doubted Snape's ability to brew potions, his attitude to those he was paid to teach was nothing short of disgraceful. It could be broken down to 'I'm brilliant - so if the students don't learn then it must be their fault'. Dumbledore, though without doubt a brilliant wizard, never acted like that. It was almost as if he enjoyed the lesson as much as his students did. No detail was too small to be overlooked or not explained properly. Each step was carefully revealed in meticulous detail - your instructions are on the blackboard was not for Dumbledore.

Hermione even joined Harry for his flying lesson, Madam Hooch easily believing that she needed the extra practice. Harry's natural skill on a broom was still all there for anyone to see, as was the wide grin he wore zipping around while getting faster and faster.

His reintroduction to Hagrid was also a highlight. They'd been invited down for tea and Harry had once more immediately hit it off with his biggest friend. That Harry had wanted to become a vet added yet another layer to their renewed friendship, Hagrid's knowledge of his beasties enthralled the now eleven year old wizard. They left with wide grins on their faces and promising to return.

Hermione was sure coincidence played no part in them bumping into Dumbledore as they left Hagrid's hut, she was also sure Harry's wide grin pleased the old wizard no end.

As expected, Hermione's letter from home contained an invitation for Harry to spend Christmas with the Grangers - if he wasn't returning to his aunt's. Harry had written home, explaining about his accident and asking about things he thought he remembered. It had taken two weeks for the reply to come and Harry was now terrified to open it.

Since it was a Saturday, Hermione suggested they wrap up warmly and go for a walk around the lake. This would guarantee their privacy to read what the letter said, and also allow them that same privacy to deal with Harry's response to reading it.

They were spotted though and soon had a visitor, a very welcome one. Hedwig swooped down to join them and perched on Harry's shoulder. Both his girls now sitting either side of him gave Harry the courage he needed to open the envelope. He would need their support as the letter got off to a bad start and went downhill faster than a four man toboggan team on an olympic run.

There was no 'Dear Harry' or even just a 'Harry'. Like an assassin's dagger it plunged straight into the heart of the matter. Harry of course recognised the handwriting as his Aunt Petunia's, he just couldn't get his head around that the person who wrote this was the same woman. This was not a letter written to a loved one, more like curt answers you would politely give when stopped on the street by a stranger. A stranger with a clipboard who asked you to complete a quick survey on double glazing. The entire thing was short, abrupt and so impersonal.

**_'To the best of our knowledge, you have not visited Brighton - and certainly never with us. As we weren't expecting you home for the holidays anyway, you may spend them wherever you wish. If this Christmas arrangement works out, perhaps you could spend part or all of the summer there too?_**

**_Please let us know nearer the time as Dudley's Aunt Marge is hoping to spend part of the summer with us, we would like to arrange her visit for when you are not here. I do appreciate you sending your letter by normal methods, please do the same to let us know about summer.'_**

Hermione's head was right next to Harry's as she read this alongside him, she was fighting to contain her anger. "That woman didn't even have the decency to sign it, she probably couldn't think what to put there. It certainly wouldn't have contained the word 'love', and probably not even 'aunt'."

Harry understood Hermione was angry on his behalf but it wasn't helping here. He gently kissed her quiet before asking a question. "Every day I see how much you've done for me, the sacrifice you made for me. You said the only other people you would do that for are your parents. Do you still believe that, Hermione?"

"Yes, of course I do..."

"The woman who wrote this is my family. It's maybe not a family I would recognise at the moment but, apart from you, the Dursleys are all the family I've got left in the world. You have nineteen years worth of memories of growing up in a loving home. Would me telling you those memories were false change how you feel about your mum and dad?"

Stunned into silence at that, Harry asked her another question. "Why did you come back to Britain? Was it to save me, or all of this?" Harry indicated toward the castle but Hermione's eyes never left his.

She leaned forward, kissing Harry as passionately as she could with Hedwig still perched on his shoulder. The clever owl then gave her opinion on the matter by using her beak to try and weave their hair together. The young couple's foreheads were now resting on each others, both trying not to laugh at Hedwig's antics.

"I think I get the message both my girls are trying to give me here, a message I'm very happy with. I've made no secret of the fact I'm not impressed with the whole idea of magic, you two are the only reason I don't tell them all to fuck off and give me back my old life. I't may not be real to those who changed it but it was real enough to me and my family who were living it."

"I get it now, Harry. You can see from that letter though what we have to work with here. Getting your family back is going to be every bit as difficult as what we came back in time to change."

"To me, it's every bit as important. I also need something else from you, a promise. If things start to get that bad again, we grab our families and get the hell out of Britain."

This was one thing Hermione had absolutely no problem promising. "I will not lose you again. Things start going pear-shaped, we are so gone."

They stayed like that until the cold eventually forced them back into the castle. Hedwig seemed to enjoy hopping from shoulder to shoulder, making her message clear that these two should stay together. Harry and Hermione may have been chittered as they made their way back to the castle but both considered their condition to be well worth the further strengthening of their relationship.

"After Stonehenge, I never thought I would complain about being cold again."

While Harry agreed with that, his mind was still on the letter. "I kinda expected something like that response, and not just from what you'd already told me. Looking through my trunk, apart from my Hogwarts uniform, everything is Dudley's castoffs. My aunt always believed her two boys should be smart, and act like proper little gentlemen. I would only be allowed to wear rags like that if Dud and me were painting the shed or something - with the clothes going straight in the bin as soon as we were finished. I have a lot of shopping to do, I hope you're right about this vault I have?"

"Dobby could get you a statement from the goblins, even have gold converted into cash for you."

"That would be great. I need clothes, contacts and a haircut. I also need to buy some Christmas presents. For my girls, Dobby, your mum and dad - and my family. Will you come with me to Little Whinging when I deliver them?"

Hermione had both arms around him and gently kissed his lips. "I told you, Harry, you're stuck with me. Where you go, I go too..."

"Well I think the guys are going to have their eyeballs popping onto the floor when we hit the shower."

"Potter, you have a one track mind..."

"...and that track leads straight to you."

"You need to write these down, Harry, they're pure gold. The twins got Ron a book, once he realised girls were different. Twelve failsafe ways to woo your witch - or something like that. You're better than any book..."

Minerva stood at the window with Albus as they watched the young couple, with a snowy owl circling above them, head back into the castle. "I have to say I like the change in Mister Potter since he started hanging around with Miss Granger. He even told Wood he would only play quidditch if it didn't interfere with his studies."

"I have to say both are a joy to teach potions. Young Harry may look like James but his attitude is now pure Lily."

"If I didn't think it would cause a further split in my house, I would ask if Mister Longbottom could join them for your lessons. Any confidence the lad builds over the week is destroyed the instant he steps into Severus' class. Students are not supposed to be terrified of their professors but Severus seems to revel in invoking that reaction from my young lions."

Minerva just mentioning a split in Gryffindor sent shivers down Albus' spine. That was certainly not his intention here. "I will speak with Harry and Hermione, see if they would mind the rest of their Gryffindor yearmates joining the class."

"I don't think they'll mind, but we both know someone who will."

"Yes, but Severus is the adult here. I'm not prepared to put up with any childish behaviour from him over this matter. If he did the job properly in the first place, I wouldn't have to take this class. I have to admit though, I am rather enjoying teaching again."

His deputy couldn't hide her smile at that admission, and also the possibility of getting all her young lions out of Severus' clutches. He refused to accept that a teacher had to treat an eleven year old student different from those who were sixteen or seventeen. The entire first year pride of lions all receiving their potions tuition from Professor Dumbledore would certainly make the Potter-Granger partnership very popular inside Gryffindor. "Can I be the one to tell Severus when those two say yes?"

-oOoOo-

After sharing their now customary chaste goodnight kiss with Hermione, Harry then headed up to his dorm to find the rest of his dorm-mates waiting on him. They were all smiling and had arranged some sort of party, complete with cakes and pumpkin juice.

"We just wanted to welcome you back, mate. Now that you're learning the same as us again, you won't have to hang about with Hermione all the time. She's turning you into a bookworm - just like her."

Taking a deep breath, Harry tried to answer without losing his temper. Hermione's comments that they all thought he was eleven too coming to mind and certainly helping. "Guys, I really appreciate you doing this for me..." He felt rotten at now having to wipe the wide grin off Ron's face.

"There's a few things we need to sort out though. Hermione's my girlfriend, and will be for as long as I can convince her to stay with me. That means I'll be hanging about with her way more than with you guys. I also learned from Hagrid that my mum and dad had my name down for Hogwarts since I was born. That really means something to me, and I'm not here to let them down. If that has you considering me a bookworm, well I've been called worse. I really want to remain friends with you guys, but my studies and Hermione have to come first."

Ron appeared ready to explode but Neville got in first with his opinion. "That's perfectly understandable, Harry..."

The redhead wasn't about to be denied however. "No it bloody isn't. You've changed so much, I wish we'd never gone to that toilet on Halloween!"

The air appeared to be sucked out the dorm as Harry's green eyes focused on Ron. "So you would rather Hermione had died that night, then things could be okay again in Ronald Weasley's world."

"That's not what I said. Someone else would have rescued her, and you wouldn't have lost your memory."

"Well they didn't and I did, and you're just going to have to learn to deal with that fact. This is who I am, Ron. If you can't handle that then stay the fuck away from me. You have insulted Hermione for the last time. Do it again and I'll be coming after you. Sorry guys, I'm not in the party mood anymore."

It was only as Harry was heading out the dorm he realised that his voice had been raised, raised enough that they'd drawn a crowd. That same crowd parted to let him past as he went downstairs and plopped down on an unoccupied sofa. He was soon joined by a Hermione who was wearing her dressing gown. She sat on his knee and wrapped her arms around his neck, Harry curling his around her waist as the anger slowly bled out of him.

They were still quietly sitting like that ten minutes later when McGonagall found them. "I received a report of a disturbance inside Gryffindor. Would you care to explain what happened?"

"I'm sorry, Professor. I hadn't realised I was shouting, Ron just got me so angry. He seems to think it would have been better if Hermione had been left alone in that toilet on Halloween, so I wouldn't have lost my memory. He claims to be my friend and then says something ridiculous and selfish like that - I just can't work him out. You saw that toilet, how could he possibly think Hermione would be okay in there with that troll?"

"Mister Weasley feels as if he's lost his best friend. I'm not trying to excuse his behaviour, just offer a possible explanation. I'm pleased to see it didn't result in blows or spells."

"I won't lie, Professor, it was close. I'll need to stay out his way for a while. Ron just doesn't seem to get Hermione's my girlfriend, nor that I won't stand for him continually bad-mouthing her."

"I'll have a word with him, and caution you to continue showing restraint. Don't stay up too late."

Hermione didn't consider sitting on Harry's knee inappropriate so hadn't moved when McGonagall entered. She was still sitting there as she answered their head of house. "We'll hear Ron snoring from down here, then it will be time to go to bed. We won't be too late, Professor. Harry's too wound up to sleep just now anyway."

McGonagall went up to the first year boys' dorm, presumably to have a word with Ron. Harry and Hermione were still sitting in the same position when she left.

With the common room practically empty, and their heads so close no one would hear them whisper, Harry began to tell Hermione about something that was troubling him. "I think I know why I'm so poor at protecting my thoughts. You tell me to clear my mind but it's a bloody war zone in here. I have to continually walk away from the boy you tell me was my best friend, otherwise I'm going to punch his face in. At the same time I'm told the boy I thought of as a brother is more likely to do that to me than say hello. I feel like I'm flying a broom blindfolded, unable to see the horizon and even gravity is totally buggered. I just don't know which way is up anymore."

Realising that Harry needed something to focus on, she started giving him some of her future knowledge that wasn't protected by oath. "You like Hagrid?"

A little confused by her change of tack, Harry answered anyway. "Hermione, what's not to like. The man doesn't have an ounce of deceit in his entire body. Considering his size, that's some achievement."

"He's that size because Hagrid is part giant. That is not a mixture welcome in the new magical order. Hagrid's passion for dragons is also well known, he told you about it that first time we had tea in his hut. When he was captured, they recreated a stadium that had been used for an event back in our fourth year. Hagrid was flung into this rocky arena and forced to face a dragon with nothing but his bare hands. The whole school was made to watch, some of them not needing any coaxing. It took over half an hour for the dragon to finally pin Hagrid down and kill him, then it feasted on his body..."

Harry held her close as shivers of revulsion racked her body. "The castle knew I was Dumbledore's protégé, and that Dobby was effectively my elf. Dumbledore granted Dobby access to the castle in a way that another headmaster would need to specifically cancel his access. Since only Dumbledore, Dobby and me knew about it, that access was never going to be cancelled. He was able to pop into the kitchens here and find out all the latest news, no one bothered what an elf heard or saw."

A gentle kiss from Harry saw her reveal more than she'd first intended. "With the dark lord in total command, things went to hell very quickly. The pureblood elite were in charge and they could do whatever they liked with total impunity - so they did. Snape was Headmaster of Hogwarts and it was a criminal offence not to send your children here. With possession of the country's children for most of the year, they had control of any families that might oppose them. Draco didn't just threaten any more, there was no one to stop him doing whatever he pleased. He is one sick little bastard and it takes all my willpower not to gut the blond prick every time I lay eyes on him."

Harry only swore when he was really mad, using words he knew were frowned upon helped. He found it a better, or perhaps safer, release of tension than punching something or someone. That Hermione had started doing the same was an indicator of just how angry she was. Offering her comfort by holding Hermione close kept the revelations coming.

"Susan Bones' aunt was / is head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, she was one of the first people murdered. This left Susan defenceless, and Malfoy had her forcefully moved into the Slytherin dorms. Susan hung herself before Halloween. They buried her body and moved on to their next victims, the Patil twins. Things just kept getting worse. Ron had started dating Lavender, he also has a younger sister. They stuck Ron to a wall and made him watch - you may have gathered that the Weasleys and Malfoys are bitter enemies. Every time Dobby visited Hogwarts I dreaded what he would tell me on his return..."

"And the stuff you're not telling me is worse than this? I need to get a handle on protecting my mind, this is too much for you to carry about on your own."

"Dumbledore intended me to do all this on my own, you coming back too was never part of his plan."

This really caught Harry's attention as Hermione explained. "I hadn't seen Dumbledore since the end of my fifth year. He spent most of that year coaching me on what you needed to know and do, and pointing me in the direction of how to achieve that. I was supposed to travel back in time and begin influencing your decisions as one of your best friends, influence those decisions down a path preordained by Dumbledore. I was never going to play along with that."

Hermione was once more gently caressing his cheek as she whispered in his ear. "To be fair to Dumbledore, I don't think he expected things to start as early, or get so disgustingly bad. I knew what would happen if they caught you, public execution was a certainty. They would have caused you a lot of pain before that though, leaving you begging for the release of death. I couldn't let that happen to you, and neither could Dobby. The access Dumbledore granted him allowed Dobby to take books from the restricted section of the library, and even from the headmaster's personal library. I had my own room at the magical school in France, I spent every spare minute of the two years I attended there working on modifying the ritual. At weekends, Dobby would even bring my meals to that room. Since I was first in almost every one of my classes, the staff left me alone. I didn't make any friends but that was okay, I was too busy trying to save the best one I ever had."

Now that Hermione had started talking about her past, she felt some relief at getting all this off her chest. "My biggest worry was that I wouldn't be magically powerful enough to power the ritual and take both of us back. There's a reason we're not overrun with time travellers, Harry, a few very good ones actually. Firstly, the information needed is incredibly difficult to come by, I had to take an oath to destroy all my materials before attempting the ritual. Then, there's no plan B. It either works or you're dead. That means you would need to have a pretty compelling reason for attempting it in the first place, as well as possessing all the forbidden knowledge. Finally, there's the authorities' reactions to consider. Any ministry discovering a time traveller will obliviate the shit out of them. I'm not talking about the reconstruction that was done to you. This is wiping everything, and not replacing anything. You would be left not knowing who you were - a drooling blank nothing."

This overwhelmed Harry. "You were sitting safe in the South of France, yet you risked all that - for me!"

She kissed him as the girl he first met. "I told you I loved you - and the Harry I knew would have done the same for me in a heartbeat."

"Hermione, what I feel for you is too much to fit into this eleven year old body. It's growing every day too, so I don't think my body will ever be able to contain it. I'm just going to let it overflow and pour all over you."

"I can't make up my mind whether that's pure cheese or twenty four carat gold. Since my whole insides melted at hearing you say that, I'm leaning more toward precious than pasteurised."

They could have sat there all night but Ron's snores signalled it was time for bed. Harry's groan had Hermione giggling, she would have bet long odds against that after their earlier conversations. In Harry's arms though, she just felt safe.

"You have got to teach me that silencing charm. Better yet, come up and cast it now."

"I can't go into the boys' dorm when they're all in there..."

"Hermione, they'll be asleep..."

-oOoOo-

Hermione was very comfortable, and really resented the voice that was trying to rouse her.

"Miss Hermione, you need to wake. The others will be up soon."

She lifted her head off Harry's chest to grumble. "Don't wanna. Comfy." It was then it hit Hermione where she was. Sleeping in Harry's bed, wrapped in his arms. Both had their pyjamas on and had done nothing more than cuddle all night, that wouldn't stop them getting into serious trouble though. A quick peck of a wakening Harry's cheek and Dobby took her hand, he was standing on Harry's bed with her housecoat and slippers in his other hand.

Harry blinked awake and she was gone, the silence inside the curtains of his four poster was total.

Hermione emerged from the shower area in housecoat and slippers while towelling her hair to find her two roommates waiting on her.

"Where were you?"

"Did you spend the night with Harry?"

"Your bed hasn't been slept in."

She could see what was happening behind her roommates and just loved Dobby. The little guy had popped her into the shower area and was saving her bacon once again. "I would ask where you two spent the night, since your beds don't appear to have been slept in either."

Both spun around to see their beds made up before turning confusedly back to Hermione. "It would seem the house elves are really on their game today." Hermione deliberately dropped the towel used for drying her hair, and it disappeared before it could hit the floor.

"Yes, definitely on their game. Thanks very much, guys." Hermione walked past her two dumbstruck dorm mates to get dressed.

The rest of his dorm mates were surprised to find Harry in such a good mood that morning, especially after the altercation last night. He was walking about whistling a tune that only Dean recognised as being by Heuy Lewis.

Ron could hardly look in his direction so Harry broke the ice. "Look Ron, I meant what I said last night about Hermione but I'm sorry I shouted at you. If you can't handle Hermione and me being together then there really is no hope of us ever being friends. You need to go and seriously think about that before saying any more."

The redhead nodded as Harry breezed past him, almost skipping in his haste to reach the common room. Hermione was waiting and, a quick peck later, they were out the portrait hole en route to breakfast.

"This is the best I've felt since coming to Hogwarts, we are so doing that again."

Seeing Harry so chirpy, his girlfriend didn't disagree. She too had been very comfortable but they had to take precautions. "I'll need to make sure Dobby knows to wake me earlier the next time. Even although we were only sleeping together, McGonagall would have a fit."

Feeling two light taps on the small of her back immediately focused Hermione's mind on other things. Harry felt his hand being squeezed and then Hermione's thumb tracing a 'D' on the back of it. This had Harry raising a questioning eyebrow, since he couldn't see any danger. They had only taken a few more steps though when Malfoy and his posse stepped out to block their passage. Hermione however was concentrating further down the corridor, Dobby had appeared silently and very briefly to indicate there was someone else present too.

"Walking around the castle holding a mudblood's hand. There really is no hope for you, Potter. Your father did the exact same, and look what happened to him."

Knowing what was going on here, Hermione interrupted before Harry could react. "There really is no hope for you either, Draco. You actually think you're a Slytherin, when a real Slytherin would get themselves sorted into another house. Picking a fight while your head of house hides down the corridor isn't cunning, it's juvenile bullying at best. Then again, that's exactly what you lot are, a bunch of juvenile bullies."

Struggling to believe they'd been so easily read, Draco tried to force a reaction out of Potter. "You know nothing, mudblood. Do you let this bitch do all your talking, Potter?"

Now seeing this for what it was, Harry played along with his girlfriend. "Why not, she's easily got your number. Aren't you going to come out, Professor Snape? I mean, there's only five of them and two of us - they're gonna need help when Malfoy cries like the bitch he is and draws his wand. We all know Hermione will kick the little shit's arse all over this castle."

Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson all glanced toward where they knew their head of house was, only Knott didn't respond. Draco was far too busy now hurling insults at the top of his voice.

"You think you're special, Potter, but you're both nothing…"

Hermione cut Draco off in the middle of his very loud rant. "Then why are you bothering with us? You are forever quoting how your pure blood makes you superior, perhaps you could explain that? You see I'm magically more powerful than you, easily more intelligent so just what does this superior blood do?"

Draco's rage was building and he got louder. "The Malfoys are one of the most powerful families in Britain…"

Once more Hermione cut him off, that act enraging Draco even more. "Ah, so it's daddy's money that provides the power, not anything to do with blood. Then again, it was daddy's money that kept him out of Azkaban when Harry destroyed his master. Funny how that powerful pure blood running through his veins was useless against the imperious curse. You still haven't told us what this superior pure blood does that makes you so special?"

Draco was now screaming about mudblood bitches and what would happen to them, he also had his wand out. Hermione was still signalling to Harry she would deal with this. Feeling her wand slide into her hand he was holding, Harry decided to let her.

Malfoy fired the first curse but Hermione's shield sent it right back at him, along with the other two that came their way. The fight, though it barely warranted that description, was soon over as McGonagall screamed for everyone to stop.

Minerva had been waiting for her two lions outside the great hall, wanting a quiet word with them. When she heard Malfoy begin shouting, Minerva headed in that direction as quickly as possible. She arrived just as the spells began to fly, and didn't miss Severus already lurking in a classroom doorway.

"I want to know what's going on here?"

Hermione got in first. "Malfoy and his goons tried to provoke a reaction out of us. We suspect their head of house was lurking nearby to catch us fighting... Oh, hello, Professor Snape."

"Your Gryfindors are the ones who provoked this..." Snape's version of events wasn't being believed by anyone in the corridor.

Holding her wand out to her head of house, Hermione offered a suggestion. "After Professor Snape attacked Harry in that toilet, Professor Dumbledore was able to tell which spell his wand had cast last. You'll find mine cast a shield, it would be interesting to see what their wands cast."

Severus began gathering wands from his Slytherins when Minerva simply took them off him. "Mister Malfoy's detention with you clearly didn't alter his behaviour. This incident will now be investigated by the headmaster and me, and we will be assigning whatever punishments we think appropriate."

Taking Hermione's wand, Minerva demonstrated in front of Snape that it was indeed a shield charm she had cast, before returning it. "Parkinson, Nott and Crabbe, go to my office now. The headmaster and I will be there to interview you shortly. Severus, escort Malfoy and Goyle to the infirmary. Tell Poppy they are not to leave before Albus and I interview them. Potter and Granger, follow me and I'll collect the headmaster from the great hall. Oh, and Severus, my office and the infirmary are in opposite directions. Take these two there now before Mister Malfoy's teeth get any bigger and do him an injury, at least it's keeping him quiet. You really must discourage your house from using that disgusting boil curse."

Draco was whimpering in agony, his new super-sized teeth making it impossible for him to have a louder reaction to his second batch of painful boils. Goyle had been hit in the face with a reflected stinging hex so was in a fair degree of discomfort too.

Minerva walked with her two young lions and told them why she had been looking for them. "Professor Dumbledore is offering to teach all the first year Gryffindors potions, providing you two don't object to that."

This time, Harry signalled through their joined hands that he would take the lead. His answer however shocked his girlfriend nearly as much as their head of house. "I don't think that would be fair, Professor."

"Why ever not?"

"Well the holidays are only five weeks away. When we get home, both Hermione and I will be sitting down with our families to discuss whether we want to return to Hogwarts. If we don't come back, Professor Dumbledore is then left teaching that class. If this is something he wants to do anyway, then of course we have no objections about the others joining."

"What do you mean, not return? You have to return."

"We have to return? Who decided that? Are you saying Hermione and I can't transfer to another school or take our education in a different direction? I thought Hogwarts was a boarding school, are you saying it's a prison?"

"No, of course it's not a prison. Why wouldn't you return?"

"Why? How about being injured so severely that I have no memories of my first two months here. Then I was magically attacked by a senior member of staff on the same night. I might have no idea what went on in that toilet but Hermione misses nothing. Now the same boy has hurled racial abuse and magically attacked me twice, the second time with the backing of a senior member of the Hogwarts staff. Perhaps you could explain to us why we should return, because I really can't come up with any reasons."

"Your parents would have wanted you to come here..."

"I just found out on Halloween how my parents' died, I'd previously been told it was a car crash. Hermione said they were murdered trying to save me. Do you think parents, who gave their lives to save their child, would then want their child in an environment that wasn't in any way, shape or form safe? Like so many things in this castle, that just doesn't make sense."

"What would you do about school?"

"We were leaning toward hiring private tutors, or attending a school in France. Hermione already speaks the language fluently, and has certainly proven to be an excellent teacher, so could work with me on that. These options though will all have to be discussed with our families during the holidays."

"Can I ask you not to do anything hasty, and at least talk to the headmaster first?"

Harry just shrugged his shoulders. "We're here until the twenty third of December anyway, and can't make any decisions without talking it over with our families. That's our timescale but I have to say up front, Hogwarts has not impressed me so far. In the school system Hermione and I are used to, a student repeatedly hurling racial abuse at another student would see them expelled - no matter how much money their father had."

They had now reached the great hall. McGonagall left them to their breakfast and headed straight to Dumbledore, before both of them quickly headed back out.

Hermione was forced to whisper in Harry's ear. She didn't want anyone else to hear but was desperate to understand his reasoning. "What was that all about?"

Repeating her behaviour, Harry told his girlfriend what she was dying to know. "Just putting more pressure onto Snape. He's obviously near the top of your shit list and I certainly have no love for the arsehole."

"I sometimes forget how smart you are, sorry about that. Since Snape murdered Dumbledore and then allowed Draco to do whatever he wanted, feel free to pile as much pressure on as you can. If we can get him chucked out of Hogwarts, I'll certainly sleep sounder at night."

Harry could only nod in agreement, and wonder just how far he could push Dumbledore on this. He also had to whisper something else. "I need to know what you know before we can make those decisions, that needs to happen during the holidays at the latest. I understand it'll take a lot longer to learn everything else you're going to teach me but I hate being kept in the dark."

Knowing how much she hated not knowing things, Hermione had no arguments against that. Instead she offered a suggestion. "If Dobby can pop me to your bed, we could get an extra couple of hours practice every night. Over and above what time we can practice during the day, we might just be able to pull that timescale off. My oath though won't allow me to tell you everything until your mental shields are strong enough, I can't fake it."

"I'm gonna learn everything I'm desperate to know, and get to spend every night cuddling into my girlfriend - I can do this."

Hermione was just as pleased with the arrangement and kissed Harry to seal the deal. Her main worry now was that, when he discovered everything she had to tell him, Harry wouldn't want to come within a hundred miles of Hogwarts.

She could only hope that her plans for the rest of their first year would meet with his approval, at least enough to see them return on the Hogwarts Express come January. Harry appeared happy to let her take the lead in certain situations but wasn't afraid to make sure his opinion was heard. Only his lack of knowledge was stopping him doing that more often.

They would be working their socks off to remedy this imbalance in their relationship as quickly as possible, and she'd also get to spend every night in her Harry's arms. Now that was a plan Hermione really liked.


	4. Leader of the Light

**Chapter 4 - Leader of the Light**

After interviewing the three Slytherin students in Minerva's office, it had taken Albus mere moments to ascertain the level of Severus' involvement in this plot. A quick scan of the wands involved soon determining who had cast what too. It was rather ironic that Mister Malfoy cast the same boils curse, and again had it reflected back at him by Miss Granger. Only also having Miss Parkinson's Densaugeo reflected at him too stopped the boy's screams once more ringing out around Hogwarts. Nott had cast the stinging hex that had also been reflected by Miss Granger's shield back at his housemates, with Goyle catching it with his face.

"Miss Parkinson, Mister Nott, for deliberately setting out to ambush fellow students, and then casting curses at them, you will receive a week's detentions. Those detentions will be spent helping Professor Sprout in her greenhouses. Mister Crabbe, while you didn't cast any curses, you were there with intent to do so - and this is your second offence. The leniency I showed in the last instance was apparently the wrong approach to take with you, since once more you were assisting in an attack on a fellow student. You shall receive the same punishment as the other two. Do any of you three have anything to say on this matter?"

The trio of Slytherins had nothing to say. Facing the wrath of Dumbledore and McGonagall in the Deputy Headmistress' Office was utterly terrifying for the three first years. They wanted out of there as soon as possible and all gladly accepted their punishments, just to get away before they started crying.

After dismissing the first years, Dumbledore and McGonagall headed for the infirmary to deal with the other half of the problem. While they were walking along the corridors, Minerva just had to say what was on her mind. "Those children need a firm hand, not a head of house who wants to be one of the ambushing gang. I find his behaviour disgusting. I don't care what you say, Albus, Severus was the force behind this whole incident."

"I was thinking of Septima. Do you think she would be firm enough?"

Minerva was speechless for a moment, then had to ask for conformation of what she thought Albus had just said. "Septima Vector? Head of Slytherin?"

There was a slight twinkle in Albus' eyes as he answered his deputy. "I don't know any other Septimas working at Hogwarts who I would be considering appointing. Do I have your backing for offering her the post?"

"Providing it's a permanent appointment, and not just some token punishment of Severus, oh Merlin yes!"

"I think Severus has crossed way over the line of what could ever be considered acceptable behaviour for a Hogwarts professor, far less the higher standards demanded by a head of house. What happens next will partially be up to him. Losing his position as Head of Slytherin though is non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned. I'm pleased you agree with me."

Minerva didn't just agree, she thought this was a decision that was long overdue. She graciously didn't say so, just thankful that Albus was finally taking the proper action.

Albus himself was thinking he didn't really have any other option. Severus had been incredibly stupid, letting his hatred for James Potter totally warp his senses. This coupled with the crystal clear signals coming from the two time travellers gave Albus the strongest indication yet that Snape simply had to go. After promising himself he would do everything in his power to aid Harry and Hermione, Albus was really left with no choice.

He had actually shed tears at the very thought of the sacrifices these two must had made to travel back in time, something the supposedly great Albus Dumbledore didn't have the courage to do himself. He'd tried to convince himself this forbidden magic and knowledge shouldn't be used for personal gain, traveling back in time to fix his own family would certainly be considered that. To save his family though, Albus would have to travel back to an age before Arianna was attacked by those muggles. Speaking of age, that would see him being too young even to attend Hogwarts. Being totally honest with himself in the wee small hours of the morning, Albus was forced to admit he just didn't think he could live through all those years again.

His future self had obviously trusted Miss Granger enough to not only train her in occlumency, but probably revealed his greatest secrets to the girl as well. He would have to trust her now, just as Harry clearly did. She obviously loved Harry, and Albus was positive that love was the power behind her decision to leap into the past. That she brought Harry with her astonished Albus, both from the magical power required to complete the ritual and the incredibly complex calculations needed in her preparations. This was why he was so certain the girl's own studies wouldn't be affected by tutoring Harry. He didn't know how far back in time they'd travelled but Albus suspected Miss Granger could probably teach at Hogwarts, never mind pass her first year exams.

They entered the infirmary to be faced with an infuriated Severus, a Severus who had obviously decided attack was the best form of defence. "Once again, I have had to take members of my house to the infirmary. I would like to hear what's going to be done about this. I already know Saint Potter won't be blamed for anything."

The potions professor had totally misjudged the situation though, he was facing a headmaster who was in no mood for his theatrics. "Since you were in the corridor for the entire incident, I'm sure you already know Harry did nothing other than verbally respond to taunts aimed at him and Miss Granger. You need not worry about the Slytherins in the infirmary, they are no longer your responsibility. Your participation in that ambush today was behaviour that flies in the face of everything a head of house should stand for. I am removing that responsibility from you, and also adding a two week suspension from Hogwarts. I would advise you to use that time to look at your life and consider some of the choices you have made - especially lately."

It took a shocked Severus a few moments to get the words he wanted out, his mouth was moving but no legible sound was passing his lips. "You can't do this to me!"

"I can, and I just have. I will of course release you from any oaths you may have made to me. Should you wish to contest my decision, a school board meeting would need to be called. Please let me know if this is what you want to do, I'm sure I could arrange one before the end of the week."

"Of course I want to protest this decision. You are taking the word of a couple first years over a head of house, just because one of them is Potter…"

"I haven't spoken with Mister Potter or Miss Granger regarding this incident. I interviewed your Slytherins and reached this decision after discussing what took place this morning with my deputy. You seem determined to blame Mister Potter for everything, Severus, but this situation is entirely of your own making. I will contact the school board and schedule a meeting, you will be informed by owl of the date and time. Please excuse us, we have another two students to deal with." Albus stood firm and left Severus with no option other than to leave the infirmary. They then approached the two boys Poppy had lying on beds.

"Mister Goyle, this is your second offence so you will receive a week's detention working with Professor Sprout in her greenhouses. Mister Malfoy, I can't express how disappointed I am in you and your behaviour. You will receive two weeks' detentions working with Mister Filch."

"What? Never! When my father hears about this…"

"I intend that one of the first tasks our new head of Slytherin undertakes will be to inform your parents of your disgusting behaviour, and the punishment you received for it. Should your parents then wish to remove you from Hogwarts, that is of course their choice. Otherwise, you will report to Mister Filch every night after dinner for the next two weeks. Perhaps this will stay your hand from drawing your wand in future. If not, there are further measures that can be taken to ensure that lesson is learned. Do not test me on this, Mister Malfoy. Changes are coming to Hogwarts, those who don't like them are welcome to leave."

It was Albus and Minerva who then left, leaving behind a student whose actions matched those of his godfather mere moments ago. Draco's mouth may have been moving but again, no legible sounds were coming out. That revelation about a new head of Slytherin had left him speechless. He wasn't alone in having that reaction. As Dumbledore made his announcement at lunchtime, that exact same reaction was pretty widespread.

"Following an incident earlier this morning, Professor Vector is the new head of Slytherin. I will also be teaching all potions classes for the next two weeks while Professor Snape considers whether his future lies at Hogwarts. I feel we as a staff have become rather remiss in not enforcing the Hogwarts code of conduct, that stops now. After dinner tonight, there will be house meetings held where attendance is mandatory. Your head of house will then go over this document in great detail with every member of their house. There will be no excuses accepted if any individual or group decides this code doesn't apply to them, they will soon discover it does."

-oOoOo-

Having now learned the silencing charm, Harry was prepared when Dobby popped Hermione to his curtained bed. The elf then used some of his own magic to erect 'notice-me-not' charms around the bed, ensuring the couple wouldn't be disturbed before he came back to wake Miss Hermione.

They sat cross-legged and pyjama clad, facing each other in their own little oasis of peace behind the drawn curtains. "I never expected Dumbledore to go this far. It's so frustrating though to know all this was available to him the last time, and he didn't do anything."

"It gets better, Hermione. McGonagall came back for a private word with me. I really did feel eleven as I thought she'd caught on to us spending our nights together."

After hearing what McGonagall had to say, and also that she would be speaking to her tomorrow, Hermione was even more astonished. "Wow! He really is trying to make a difference."

"Yeah, even I figured that one out. After everything that's happened today, I don't know how I'm supposed to clear my mind tonight."

Leaning forward, Hermione kissed Harry until he wasn't thinking of anything else.

"You, Miss Granger, are a wonderful teacher. I can certainly recommend your unorthodox but inspirational methods, and only wonder why they've never been tried before…"

"You want McGonagall kissing you in your bed?"

"Hermione!"

"What? At least I didn't say Dumbledore."

"Aw shit. You've just wasted all that good work, I need another kiss."

"No, you now have thoughts you want to clear out of your mind. Do that first, then we'll see about more kisses…"

Having now provided him with that double incentive, Harry had to reiterate his earlier words. Hermione was a simply wonderful teacher.

-oOoOo-

The changes in Hogwarts were immediate, immediately after Dumbledore had taken the first potions class that is. Every one of those first set of students was raving about it - with the rest of the school now looking forward to their own potions class. Now there was an immediate change right there.

Hermione had agreed with Harry, that this course of action was risky. She also agreed it was one they had to take. That was why both missed their history of magic lesson. Considering they could literally change history here, both thought that was an incredibly small price to pay.

-oOoOo-

Severus confidently sat beside Lucius, certain that he would be reinstated as Head of Slytherin before the meeting was over. That Lucius was livid at Draco's treatment inside Hogwarts added another degree of certainty to the result. Dumbledore may still be headmaster at the end of this meeting but he was going to be humiliated and forced to offer a couple of apologies. Then Severus would be able to go after the Potter brat with impunity. Albus wouldn't dare say a word, and McGonagall was nothing without the headmaster's backing.

When everyone was settled in their seats around the large table, Dumbledore and McGonagall entered - with Amelia Bones.

Lucius was on his feet instantly. "Madam Bones, this is a meeting of the Hogwarts School Board. Since you are not a member of that board, I must ask you to leave."

This actually earned a chuckle from the stern woman. "Malfoy, it may have escaped your notice but I am the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It is in that capacity that I am here tonight. I would like to see you try and throw me out, at the very least you would be charged with deliberately obstructing justice."

"I just couldn't think why the Director of the D.M.L.E. would have business here tonight…"

"Don't worry, Malfoy, I'm not here for you - yet. Severus Snape, you are under arrest for casting legilemens on a child - a child who had just suffered a head injury too."

Severus instantly recognised what was happening here, he was too shocked even to refute the accusation. Lucius was under no such handicap, and intended to make this bitch pay for her dig at him. "Don't be preposterous. Where is your proof? How would a child even know if that spell was being cast on them?"

Amelia was unperturbed. "The attack was carried out in front of the Deputy Headmistress. Severus Snape's wand was then examined by the Hogwarts Headmaster, the results of which were also witnessed by another two heads of house. Mister Potter's injury saw him lose his memory, Snape's mental attack coincided with Harry re-bonding with his wand. The lad's magic acted to protect him, blasting Snape clean off his feet."

This was news the rest of the school board were naturally very interested in, and saw quite a few questions coming from around the table.

"It was Harry Potter he attacked?"

"How did the boy-who-lived lose his memory?"

"Just what is going on here?"

This led to Albus telling the story of Halloween, and how Harry was injured saving his girlfriend from a troll. Ensuring everyone that Harry had suffered no after-effects, except for that memory loss, and that he was now challenging his girlfriend to be the top student in first year eased their concerns. Here was the legend they thought of as the boy-who-lived in action, defeating a troll while saving the maiden.

Malfoy though was coming at this from a different angle. "Has the boy pressed charges against Severus?"

This was answered by Dumbledore. "Yes Harry has. Both he and Miss Granger were interviewed by Madam Bones as part of her investigation into this matter. Since Severus orchestrated an ambush of Harry and his girlfriend, why wouldn't he?"

"Again, what evidence do you have of that? My son is currently cleaning toilets every night, and yet he is the one who was injured in this supposed ambush."

The Headmaster was not for giving an inch over this matter. "Your son was injured by the spell he himself cast, reflected back at him by a shield charm. Draco is also of the opinion that it's within his rights to taunt Mister Potter that his mother was a muggleborn, not the word he used, and his parents were murdered."

"Isn't that actually true?" Lucius Malfoy's superior sneer soon disappeared as he experienced the full power of Dumbledore staring him down.

"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. When Harry responded that Draco's father was a cowardly death eater who bought his way out of Azkaban with gold, rather than have the courage of his convictions, your son drew his wand and attacked. The truth can hurt as bad as any curse, Lucius."

"That is slander. I was under the imperious curse, that has been proven."

Albus was now relentless. "Not as far as I'm aware. You saying so doesn't make it true…"

"You doubt my word?"

"You were the one who brought truth into this matter. We all know what the Malfoy word is worth, whatever Lucius Malfoy wants it to be. Madam Bones, perhaps you could refresh my memory here? I can't recall any trial where it was established that Lucius committed his crimes while under the imperious curse, and was therefore innocent of all charges."

Amelia was loving this, getting to poke Lucius one in the eye without Fudge here to protect the blond git. "There's nothing wrong with your memory, Albus. You can't remember any trial, because there wasn't one. I don't know if I could live with myself, something like that hanging over my family name. Especially when it could be so easily cleared up."

"I agree, Amelia. I'm currently teaching potions in Hogwarts, and I discovered some Veritaserum in the potions professor's private stores. We could end all this speculation here and now. Well, Lucius, do you wish to take this chance to prove the truth of the matter? Surely you would appreciate the opportunity for these vile rumours to be put to bed once and for all? It would save young Draco being tainted by these allegations too if you publicly proved them false. I would have thought that was the least a caring father could do for his young, impressionable son."

Lucius was left with a complexion that matched his pure white hair. He tried for bluster but was left fooling no one in the room. Faced with a Dumbledore and Bones who were both pushing hard, and making absolutely no concessions to his money or political power, Lucius Malfoy found himself unwillingly agreeing with Dumbledore. The truth was a terrible thing.

"I don't see any need to answer questions on matters that have already been settled…"

Albus had never expected him to answer any other way, that didn't mean he wasn't going to use this to his advantage. "Ah, and there lies the problem we have. Without this evidence, people will make up their own minds on the matter. Thus leaving Draco with no comeback when that story is bandied about the corridors of Hogwarts. I also have to ask the other eleven members of the board here if this is the kind of wizard they want leading the Hogwarts School Board, or even sitting on that board. As Headmaster of Hogwarts, I am allowed to propose matters to the board…

Augusta Longbottom had seconded Malfoy's removal from the board before Albus could even finish proposing it. While Albus didn't have a vote, neither did Lucius - since the vote was to remove him from the board. The vote was quickly taken and it fell to Albus to then ask Lucius to leave the meeting - since he was no longer a member of the school board.

Amelia then removed Snape's wand and fitted magical restraints on him. Severus was left looking at Albus for answers.

"I warned you, Severus, but you couldn't let it go. It would appear your hatred for Harry's father far outweighed the love you professed to have for the boy's mother. You brought this on yourself, thinking the rule of law didn't apply to you. It's one thing to give someone a chance to redeem themselves, it's quite another to turn a blind eye to their continual flouting of that chance. No more, Severus. That will apply to everyone, as your friend Lucius just discovered. The changes happening in Hogwarts will be reflected further afield."

As Severus was led out, Albus turned to face the rest of the school board. "Since you are now a member short, I would like to propose someone who I can honestly say has the best interest of Hogwarts and the castle's students close to her heart. I propose Minerva McGonagall as a member of the school board."

-oOoOo-

Draco was carrying the mop and bucket to his next disgusting cleaning job, ignoring the old fart Filch's rantings as they walked the corridor. Instead, Draco's thoughts were dwelling on the upcoming apology Dumbledore was going to be forced to make. Draco's letter home had resulted in his parents' rage at the muggle-loving headmaster reaching new heights. When his father got that angry, someone always paid for it.

His pleasant thoughts were disrupted by the sight heading toward the Malfoy heir. Draco recognised Madam Bones, the pair of aurors with her were also recognisable as such by their uniforms. It was the fourth member of this group though that shocked Draco, or rather the fact Severus Snape was in restraints and being marched out of the school.

"Professor, what's going on? Didn't my father get you reinstated as the Head of Slytherin?"

"Your father was voted off the school board and I'm being arrested. Blasted Potter's fault..."

Snape never got to say any more, he was hustled along and away from his godson. Draco was soon being prodded to move along too.

"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" Filch said, leering at the now despondent young boy. "Oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me… It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out… hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed…"

Draco once more tried not to listen as he trudged to the next toilet needing cleaned. It was much harder to do however without the thoughts of an impending Dumbledore apology to buoy his spirits. Instead he started to think about getting even with the person responsible for all of this - Potter!

-oOoOo-

Draco wasn't the only one who spotted Snape being led out the castle by aurors. By breakfast time, that news was all over Hogwarts. The first years were standing in the corridor, waiting to enter their first class of the day, when Draco couldn't hold his anger back any longer.

"My father was voted off the school board and Professor Snape got arrested. This is all your fault, Potter."

They had of course all heard about Snape. Discovering Lucius Malfoy was kicked off the school board too was a very welcome bonus for the pair of time travellers. Harry had an instant reply for the spoiled and angry boy. "Draco, if I really had that much power, don't you think I would have used it to get rid of annoying and whiny little blond gits like you?"

This generated a lot of laughter amongst their peers. As much as they enjoyed the pompous Malfoy heir getting the wind knocked out of his sails, a fair proportion of that laughter was because of who was delivering the verbal blow. Harry had surprised Hermione by introducing himself to all their year mates just after they traveled back in time. She had asked him about this, since he hadn't done that last time, nor given the impression this was something he was comfortable doing - even as an eighteen year old. His answer had surprised Hermione, and showed again she was dealing with a much more mature person.

'Hermione, this is a second chance at everything. I've never been good at making friends, holding my hand out and saying hi just might change that a little.'

It actually had, and destroyed a lot of the mystique surrounding the boy-who-lived too. People from the other houses were getting to know him as just Harry, something they were both very happy with.

Seeing Draco ready to explode again saw Harry react. He didn't want there to be any way he could be blamed for provoking another attack. "Let's look at this logically, Malfoy. I've never met your father, nor anyone else on the Hogwarts school board. How then am I supposed to be responsible for them voting your father off? I didn't even know the first thing about it happening until you just told me a minute ago. As to Snape, Hermione and I were interviewed by Madam Bones while you lot were listening to Binns. She seemed to think there were criminal charges for Snape to answer. You of all people should know the trouble it can cause if you don't keep your wand in your pocket."

That Harry had introduced himself, and also shook her hand, gave a rather shy Susan Bones the courage to speak out. "Madam Bones is my aunt, Harry. If she's arrested Snape, then auntie will already have a strong case against him."

Neville felt as if he just got an early Christmas present. "My Gran's on the school board. If Snape gets found guilty, no matter what he's then sentenced too, that automatically means he can't be a professor at Hogwarts."

There were now looks of awe in their direction, though it was Ron who mouthed what three-quarters of them were already thinking. "You got rid of Snape? There will be a plaque with your names on it in three of the common rooms…"

Their classroom door opening saw them heading inside, leaving a still livid Draco standing there on his own. Even the other Slytherins were giving Draco a wide berth. Snape was apparently gone and Dumbledore wasn't letting anyone get away with anything. Until Draco accepted this new reality, the rest of his house would be staying away from the boy who was nothing but trouble. Dumbledore seemed to be working on an increasing scale of severity regarding misbehaviour, no one wanted to be on the receiving end of any more punishments.

Seeing Hermione with a definite spring in her step during their potions class pleased Albus immensely. While he couldn't ask her any questions, and had sworn to himself he wouldn't stoop to reading Harry's thoughts for information, that didn't mean he wasn't going to use the girl as a barometer to try and avoid the approaching storm. Judging by her demeanour today, after hearing the news about Snape and Malfoy, Albus could only think his actions had knocked some of the wind out of the storm - for now.

He would have a chat with them in a few days to see if they were still considering to look elsewhere for their education, or whether his actions had changed their minds. Albus didn't know he would have another meeting before that.

-oOoOo-

An enraged Minister of Magic was pacing up and down in front of Dumbledore's impressive desk. Albus himself was impassively sitting behind the mahogany masterpiece, watching while Cornelius' temper grew and grew. Those pinstripe robes were flapping about his body and his favourite green bowler was taking a mauling while his hands angrily gripped it for reassurance. Fudge finally gave vent to his feelings in the headmaster's office.

"You deliberately arranged for Snape to be arrested during the school board meeting. This was done with the express purpose of embarrassing Lucius. You then used that embarrassment to have him voted off. Just what are you after, Dumbledore?"

Peering over his half-moon glasses, Dumbledore's gaze pinned Cornelius like the former young student this now Minister of Magic used to be. "Is there any point of me recounting what actually took place at that meeting? You've clearly already made your mind up, or should that be Lucius Malfoy has made it up for you?"

"Don't be preposterous, of course I want to hear your version…"

"This is not my version, Cornelius. That was a pretty full room, and included the Director of the D.M.L.E. You are of course welcome to ask any or all of them what version of events is the truth. Lucius was there with the sole purpose of defending Snape and his own son's behaviour, both of which were indefensible…"

"What has young Draco done to merit such a severe punishment for a first year?"

"That is an internal Hogwarts matter but I will tell you anyway, since it has bearing on this discussion. Draco seems to think it's okay to call Harry Potter's mother and girlfriend mudbloods. When Harry retorted that Draco's father was a death eater who used his gold to escape justice and punishment, he drew his wand and began firing curses…"

"That's perfectly understandable behaviour…"

Albus cut the minister off right there. "Yes, it's understandable behaviour, we can all easily see what he's up to. Draco tries to get Harry to magically retaliate against calling his mother a mudblood. Instead, Harry turned the tables on him. As I pointed out to Lucius last night, Harry's statement is also factually correct. Lucius Malfoy was never tried for any of the crimes he committed, nor was his 'under the imperius' defence questioned to any degree - other than accepting his word. Lucius was given the opportunity to settle that argument once and for all last night, with the Director of the D.M.L.E. and the Chief Warlock in the room. He couldn't refuse that opportunity quickly or strongly enough, and didn't care a jot that this left his son open to those type of verbal retorts. It was this downright refusal to even consider publicly clearing the Malfoy name that saw him voted off the board. If he won't put his own son's interests ahead of his own, there is no place for him on a school board."

"You doubted Lucius' word?"

"Of course I doubted it, and so should you. If Lucius Malfoy is as innocent as he claims, then surely he would welcome any opportunity to prove that innocence. Instead, he fled the castle like a scalded kneazle - terrified Amelia or I would insist he answered questions he certainly doesn't want to. He fled straight to you, the Minister of Magic. That's not a position that should be held by Malfoy's errand boy."

"How dare you, Dumbledore. I am the Minister, and no one's errand boy."

The force behind Dumbledore's reply to that had Cornelius finally sitting in the previously offered seat. "Well start behaving like a Minister of Magic then. I can't believe the shrewd Cornelius Fudge who walked these corridors for seven years has been taken in by Malfoy's silver tongue and golden touch. He's using you, and your position. That wizard is dark, Cornelius, and that darkness isn't very well hidden beneath that respectable veneer Lucius shows the world. When he goes down, and Lucius will, it would be a wise minister who doesn't get dragged down along with his so-called friend."

Cornelius sat there, bowler on his knee while his mind was currently as empty as that lime green hat. Dumbledore was once more relentless though as he piled on the pressure. "There were some powerful and influential people in that room last night, they all caught a glimpse of the real Lucius Malfoy - and that is why they voted against him. You don't invite a poisonous viper into your bosom and expect not to be bitten, they banished that viper last night. That story will also be doing the rounds, hence why he headed straight for his biggest supporter."

The pupils of Cornelius' eyes reminded Albus of an abacus as they flicked back and forth. It was also clear from his expression Cornelius didn't like the way those sums were adding up in his mind. After all the straight talking that had been done here today, the minister decided to continue with that theme.

"Lucius maintains this is your first move in a bid to oust me as minister, taking the position for yourself..."

Since Cornelius had been honest, Albus decided to answer in the same manner. "The Minister of Magic is not allowed to hold any official posts, other than that one. I would need to resign from being Headmaster of Hogwarts, that is something I will never do. This is my home, this is my calling. You know I've been offered the Minister's position on more than a few occasions, I've always turned them down. What does Lucius say is so different about this time?"

This seemed to take a weight off the Minister's mind, Albus though just piled a different load back on there.

"In my life, I've fought against two dark lords. My greatest regret is the social and political conditions that allowed those dark lords to flourish in our country still haven't been addressed. If I see another dark lord in the years I've got left to me, I guarantee you that Lucius Malfoy will be one of his main supporters. I can also guarantee you that I will be opposing that dark lord with everything that I am. The only way I see you and I in opposition is if you allow Malfoy to drag you into a situation where we end up on different sides of that battle. My position on this is clearly defined, Cornelius. I will always oppose the dark."

Since the entire country knew that last statement to be true, Cornelius really couldn't dispute Albus' claims that he stood firmly against the dark. That anyone could even consider Cornelius Fudge as 'dark' sent a shiver of fear down his back. That was not something he wanted associated with his tenure as Minister of Magic.

"You have given me much to think about, Albus."

"That is all I ask of you, Cornelius, think for yourself. There is nothing wrong with asking people you trust for advice, it's ensuring those who you ask are trustworthy that is the problem here. You have my trust and support, and I have clearly stated the conditions needed for those things to change. I want to spend my remaining years overseeing my beloved Hogwarts in a peaceful Britain, you desperately want to believe your friend is telling the truth. I really fear both of us are in for a severe disappointment, Cornelius. We can't count on another miracle like Harry Potter happening again, our country needs to be strong enough to stand up to any threat."

"What do you know, Albus?"

"It's just I can see the pattern starting to repeat itself. Take Severus as an example. I treated him as a young wizard who made a mistake, and then tried to pay for that mistake by helping others. That is why I spoke in his defence all those years ago. I really believed he had turned a corner and wanted to live a productive life teaching children. For him to fire that spell at Harry Potter, and then set up that ambush of the lad, the pattern repeats itself."

The minister who left the headmaster's office had lost his anger, that anger though was now replaced by worry. What Albus was suggesting was not something to dive right into, rather take a step back and try to look at the problem with fresh eyes. His immediate problem though was what to tell a Lucius Malfoy that was anxiously awaiting his return to the ministry.

-oOoOo-

Harry's mind was clear as he monitored his mental shields. Both he and Hermione were certain those shields were getting stronger but as Harry sensed her mental probe, they hit the same problem again. Instead of deflecting Hermione's probe, Harry's mind and magic welcomed her with a loving embrace. The intensity of love expressed in that embrace left his girlfriend blushing.

"Haarrryy! You're supposed to reject me…"

"…and that is where we're having the problem. From the first time I laid eyes on you in the uni bar, there was never going to be any rejection from me. I think I can be honest enough with myself to say it wasn't just because you were stunningly beautiful, I've never felt a pull of attraction to another person like that in my life. When Brian gave me an excuse to go over and talk to you, my insides were cheering like mad."

This had Hermione leaning in and offering a tender kiss, Harry was still smiling as he commented on his situation.

"I'm sitting here in an eleven year old body. That young body is stuck in a magical castle somewhere in the Scottish Highlands and has a family back home in Surrey who now apparently hate me. That right there is more than enough cause to drive anyone crazy. The only reason I'm not insane with all of this is currently sitting right across from me. Have you any idea how weird it is to think about marriage, settling down after uni and having a family - all when you're still a kid yourself. Of course you do. You do, don't you?"

Harry had noticed the tears forming in the corners of Hermione's eyes, her wide smile though dispelled any fears Harry had about just upsetting his girlfriend.

"Of course I think about those things, and it's always you standing beside me. I just didn't know you shared the same thoughts, it's like I'm falling for my new Harry all over again."

"The other Harry you described clearly didn't have the best of upbringings, probably didn't even know what love was. My memories tell me different. Those memories may be manufactured or engineered, they are still my memories though. I know what love is, Hermione, and I love the wonderful girl who's sitting here beside me now. If we hadn't had our 'back to the future' trip, I like to think that an eighteen year old Harry Potter would have been introducing his new girlfriend to his family that Christmas, while making arrangements to visit yours in France. I think of that night in our hotel a lot, every single day, more than once a day too…"

This had Hermione giggling. "I get the picture, Harry. I was there too…"

"The point I'm trying to make is that night was special, the most special night of my life. We connected in ways far beyond the obvious ones. My main thoughts that night revolved around never letting this wonderful girl out of my life - ever. I would have preferred a DeLorean to that ritual though. While naked was nice, the car would at least have had a heater."

Hermione just had to snog her boyfriend after that, their training was over for tonight. Lying snuggling into Harry, she realised they now had a major problem.

"I can't tell you what you need to know without checking your shields are strong enough..."

"...and you can't check my shields when I keep inviting you in. Why don't we get Gandalf the White to do it? You know he's going to want to speak to us before the holidays anyway."

"Ask Dumbledore to check your shields?"

"Why not? He already knows about us, and he's proven trustworthy so far. I know enough to at least tell if Dumbledore gets through my shields. I still don't know any earth-shattering secrets, and Dumbledore would lose our trust if he didn't immediately withdraw after getting past my defences. That would be a big loss to him for very little gain, he's smarter than that."

"If you really think so..."

Harry moved until he was staring into Hermione's eyes from mere inches away. "I can see the burden you carry. Considering some of the things you've already told me, it must be very bad. What I really remember though is you promising to be my girlfriend in the past, present and future - I certainly intend to hold you to that promise. We do this with Dumbledore, and then we'll face those things you're terrified of telling me about together."

"From that first Halloween, Harry, we always have..."

"...and from this Halloween, we always will."

They snuggled in, each drawing comfort from the other and delighted with the way their relationship was growing. Christmas was going to be a big test. Two families to face and revelations about the future to be unveiled to Harry. Both were confident they would help each other through the tough times ahead, and that they would still be a couple at the end of it all.


	5. Thrice Defied Him

**Chapter 5 - Thrice Defied Him...**

Harry couldn't help but laugh. He liked the Weasley twins, even if they were currently taking the piss out of him. Fred and George though had style, and that style had Harry in stitches too as he finally sat down to breakfast.

"Make way for the great one - move along there and leave room for his lady too…"

"You honour us with your presence as we break our fast, oh vanquisher of dark lords…"

"Slayer of trolls…"

"Youngest seeker in over a century…"

"…but, more importantly, the wonderful boy who rid us of Snape!"

"The boy-who-lived becomes the boy-who-rid, rid us of the greasy git."

"Oh George, I like that."

"So do I, Fred. The boy-who-rid, do you think It'll catch on?"

"Hey, they might even write books about that…"

Their capers were interrupted by the arrival of Professor McGonagall, her stoic expression threatening to break into a smile at the twins' hilarious antics. "Mister Potter, Miss Granger, the Headmaster would like a word with you both after breakfast. Professor Dumbledore has a tendency to talk for hours, please remind him he has a potions class to teach second period. Your teacher has been informed where you will be, just don't take all day."

Since they had transfiguration first period, Hermione thought that was about as close to a joke as she'd ever heard McGonagall crack. It just highlighted the change in atmosphere within the castle.

As McGonagall took her leave, the twins picked right back up where they'd left off.

"Hear that? Invited up to talk with the headmaster. We've never even seen inside his office.'

"Eh, Fred. Avoiding Dumbledore's attention - that's a good thing."

"Too true, George. We're more likely to be dragged there for something we've been caught doing, something we shouldn't have been doing that is."

"Us, get caught? You jest, brother."

"Jest, prank, joke, it's what we do!"

Through his laughter, Harry managed to say something. "Weasley Wheezes, brought to you by Tweedledum and Tweedledee…"

"Weasley Wheezes? By George, I think we have something there…"

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes. I think that sounds better, Fred, and we want to distinguish ourselves from these Tweedledum and Tweedledee guys…"

Hermione was laughing along with Harry, pleased that, while his relationship with Ron was strained, the twins and he had quickly become friends again. After the ministry had wiped Harry's memory, neither Fred nor George had returned to Hogwarts. Hermione was one of the few who knew Harry had given the twins his triwizard prize money, because he'd said the world was going to need some laughs.

The twins were as good as their word, better actually. They called their shop

'Potter's Pranks', much to the dismay of the ministry. A picture of Harry competing in the triwiz was their 'logo', appearing as a label on all their products, and a massive version served as their shop's sign. They made sure Harry wasn't forgotten, and it cost them everything.

When Voldemort took over the ministry, their shop was burned to the ground - thankfully without them inside it. To add a touch of irony, that was the same picture Voldemort's ministry had been using in their search for Harry before she'd brought them back in time. This time it was going to be different.

It was a very happy couple who left the great hall and headed for Dumbledore's office.

-oOoOo-

Albus couldn't miss their grins as both Harry and Hermione entered his office. "Are you that pleased to be missing transfiguration? Professor McGonagall will be so disappointed…"

"No, Sir, we just had breakfast with Fred and George Weasley. You can't be in their company and not smile, it's an impossibility."

"Ah Harry, I feel your head of house might disagree with that - though I certainly do see your point. I'd like to thank you two for coming. I assume you know why I asked to speak with you both? I am rather anxious that our two star first year students don't leave Hogwarts."

"Well, Sir, that's mainly going to be up to you."

The headmaster was left looking perplexed at Harry before Hermione explained. "I've been teaching Harry occlumency but we hit a problem. Basically, Harry simply refuses to block my mental probes. This has left us needing to have his mental shields examined by someone else..."

Albus caught on at once, and was amazed at the trust he was being shown here. "You want me to check Harry's shields?"

"Harry has a strong mental construct, which you could obviously breech if you really tried. We need a gauge of just how strong that construct is, we're trusting you to get that information for us. Harry though is skilled enough now to know just how far you delve into his mind..."

It didn't need to be said by any of them what would happen if Dumbledore did that, Harry's comment it was up to Albus whether the couple stayed at Hogwarts or not now made perfect sense.

"I feel honoured that you would trust me with this task, and promise to do my very best not to betray that trust."

Realising that any other conversations they would have this morning depended on what happened after he probed Harry's mind, Dumbledore removed his wand and Harry indicated he was ready. Albus then entered a world like none he had ever seen before.

The mindscape facing him was a living entity, but this was no recognisable creature - more a shapeless organism. When working with his old friend Nicolas on dragon blood all those years ago, Albus had been introduced to the workings of a microscope. While this mindscape reminded him of that experience, the scale and detail here was far beyond anything he had witnessed from using that little brass instrument.

Deciding he was here to test Harry's defences, rather than admire them, Albus pushed forward into this organism. He had barely passed through the membrane that was the beginning of Harry's outer defence when he found himself being attacked from all sides. His attackers were about the size of bludgers, though soft and squishy rather than cannonball hard. While the attack was in no way painful, Albus felt the effects at once. Each 'sponge like' attacker that attached itself to him immediately began draining the magical energy behind his probe. While Albus was contemplating what his next move should be, his probe was overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers and the headmaster faded out of Harry's mind.

Albus needed a moment to recover from the shock before turning to Hermione. "Miss Granger, you are clearly a wonderful teacher. Remind me to offer you a job before you leave Hogwarts. I have never seen anything like that. It was shock more than anything that saw me so easily ejected. Now that I know what I'm up against I could undoubtably delve further, but I don't think we need to. Anyone else encountering that unique mindscape will react in the exact same way."

Blushing at the praise but delighted with her boyfriend's performance, Hermione gave Dumbledore the information he was missing. "Oh, that mindscape construct was pure Harry, Professor. Harry has a very organised mind, and leans heavily into muggle sciences. Most muggle borns who are that way inclined would recognise exactly what just happened to you."

Harry took over the explanation. "Our bodies have natural defences against attacks by foreign bodies, infections and viruses. I decided to adopt that model to protect my mind. The biological defences of my mindscape treated your probe as a foreign invader, and immediately reacted accordingly. Those were my versions of white blood cells that attacked you, draining the recognised threat of energy before it could harm me. I'm working on having more layers of surprises for anyone who attempts to enter my mind."

"Fascinating, simply fascinating. Well, Miss Granger, I would say Harry's shields pass muster. I imagine you will now have a few long conversations with him."

"We're saving that for the holidays, Professor."

"I'm going to be staying with Hermione, her parents wanted to meet me."

Knowing what the old Dumbledore had been like at controlling Harry's life, and also understanding some of the reasons behind it, Hermione headed the headmaster off before he could say anything. "I'll also be meeting Harry's family over the holidays, we're looking forward to learning more about each other."

Recognising what the girl was doing, deflecting his concern, Albus took a chance and asked a question. "I know you made an oath to the other me about information but I was wondering if you could possibly confirm a suspicion I have. Harry's scar is now much lighter, does that mean what I think it does?"

Deciding that Dumbledore had played fair with them, Hermione gave the old wizard an early Christmas present. "It means exactly that, Professor. There is no taint whatsoever attached to my Harry."

Harry had no idea what was being talked about here but couldn't fail to notice the effect Hermione's words had on Dumbledore. The Headmaster slumped into his seat, leaving Harry to initially think this was a bad thing. Dumbledore's smile was then wide and genuine, there might even have been the beginning of tears in his eyes. It was easy to see his main emotion though was that of relief.

"Miss Granger, you are probably the only person in the world who knows how much those words mean to me - and that is because they will mean even more to you. I had hoped to convince you both to stay in Hogwarts, yet this morning you have given me so much more than that. If there is anything I can do for you, please just ask."

She was initially going to say that wasn't necessary when Hermione had a brainwave. "Sir, if at all possible, could you be at Harry's quidditch matches?"

While not understanding the request, he now knew Hermione wouldn't make such a request unless it was really important. Since it was such an easy request to grant, and may somehow protect Harry, Albus quickly concurred he would be there. They chatted back and forth before it was time for all of them to leave for class.

As the couple left the headmaster's office, Dumbledore's heartfelt wish they would have a Merry Christmas ringing in their ears, Harry tried to rein in his curiosity. The instant they were alone he had a question for Hermione. "I understand I will be getting an explanation for what just happened in there later, it seemed important though?"

He got a kiss from his girlfriend, and a wide smile. "That piece of news is unbelievably important, and all good for us. It will certainly feature prominently in our talks during the holidays."

Harry was happy with that, since those holidays were only a week away. They walked hand in hand to their next class.

-oOoOo-

Both Harry and Hermione found themselves back in the headmaster's office before that week was up. The visit this time wasn't nearly so pleasant, Dumbledore had some news for them and the also summoned Professor McGonagall.

"Severus Snape stands trial tomorrow, and we four have been called as witnesses. Someone is spreading gold, almost certainly Lucius Malfoy, in an attempt to turn the entire incident into a mere misdemeanour - and nothing more than a massive overreaction on our parts."

Turning his attention to the two youngest in his office, Albus explained his fears. "They have obviously used the boy-who-lived angle to push for a trial, knowing there is an insatiable curiosity about Harry Potter. This will be most people present's first chance to see Harry for themselves. Snape's representative will obviously want to get each of you answering questions, and then try to portray you both in a poor light - holding up Severus as a caring professional."

"If Snape's representative can manage that last part then we are in real trouble. I have no memories of his classes but, from what I've heard, that certainly was not the case."

This drew a smile from Dumbledore as he outlined more of the trial arrangements. "Madam Bones will lead the ministry case. As you can imagine, she's as angry about this situation as we are. Professor McGonagall and myself will accompany you both to the ministry and at least one of us will be at your side for the entire time you are out of Hogwarts. My advice would be to stick to the truth, no matter how much they try to twist your words or actions."

"And there was me looking forward to the holidays too. He won't be returning to Hogwarts, will he?"

"Not unless they sack me, Harry..."

McGonagall was quick to add her name to the list of those who would need to be sacked too before Snape could reenter Hogwarts as a professor. Since it was getting late, their head of house led them back to Gryffindor Tower. "Neither of you has anything to hide, so just follow the Headmaster's advice and tell the truth."

The truth though would get the pair in more trouble than they, or even Dumbledore could deal with.

-oOoOo-

Dobby had popped Hermione to Harry's bed and they had spent the night together. There wasn't much sleeping done though as Harry had wanted information, specifically on Snape and Malfoy. Hermione knew plenty, and had spent most of the night passing that information on to her boyfriend.

As Hermione greeted Harry in the morning, his hug and kiss couldn't mask his rage. "You need to remember what happened the last time you lost your temper in a courtroom." Her whisper struck home, but not in the way she expected.

Harry pulled her to him and gave Hermione their most passionate public kiss to date, causing wolf whistles and shouts inside the Gryffindor common room. Using the ruckus he'd just caused, Harry whispered into his now dazed girlfriend's ear. "And you need to remember I'm a different Harry. I'm rather more articulate now, so I'm hoping for somewhat better than telling the cowardly bastards to go and fuck themselves."

Taking his girlfriend by the hand, they headed through the porthole in search of McGonagall, neither felt much like having breakfast this morning.

-oOoOo-

Since Dumbledore was a witness, he wasn't present at today's trial in his capacity as Chief Warlock, rather that of Hogwarts' Headmaster. He and his deputy took up flanking positions, all four sitting in a row with Harry and Hermione safely sandwiched between their professors.

Harry's eyes wandered all around, taking in the people and large gloomy room. Since he had no memory of his visit to Diagon Alley on his eleventh birthday, this trip to the Ministry was his first real contact with the magical side of Britain - outside of Hogwarts that is. Harry wasn't liking what he found. All the staring, pointing and unwanted attention was adding fuel to his already simmering temper. "This is a bloody circus, and we're the freak show. The boy-who-lived, here for everyone to stare at - and they didn't even need to pay admission money."

Hermione's hand was of course in Harry's as she gave it a squeeze. Noticing how worried the girl was, Albus started pointing things and people out to his two students. The teacher in Albus took over as he explained today's procedure in greater detail, making sure to identify the main players to the pair.

Of all the people here, Harry had only previously met Madam Bones but still had no trouble picking out Lucius Malfoy sitting in the crowd. Draco was as near a clone as was possible to his father, they even had the same sneering expression when looking down their nose at those not worthy. To the Malfoy family, that was apparently everyone who didn't share their last name.

The grateful smile the headmaster received from Hermione told Albus there was more going on here than he was aware of. If Hermione was worried, he would need to be on his guard.

An auror guard then escorted Snape into the courtroom, leading the accused to a chair on a raised plinth where everyone could clearly see him. Harry spotted the former Head of Slytherin sneering in his direction. The way Harry was currently feeling, he had no problem returning Snape's sneer - with interest.

Albus was first into the witness stand, with the defence council, Litigator Braithwaite, quickly establishing that the Headmaster hadn't actually witnessed the accused, Severus Snape, casting the curse he was charged with. Lucius' gold had hired the best and Braithwaite tried very hard to earn that gold by glossing over the fact that Dumbledore himself had cast the prior incantato spell that verified Snape had indeed used that curse.

Madam Bones though undid most of Braithwaite's work by making sure to clearly highlight that fact in her questioning of Dumbledore.

McGonagall too was forced to admit she hadn't seen her former colleague cast that curse. She put a big dent in Braithwaite's line of argument though by saying she had witnessed Snape casting a stunner, therefore the legilimens curse must have been cast after that - and before the headmaster arrived on the scene. Since she was certain the curse hadn't been cast at her, and the other three occupants in that wrecked toilet were all first year students, his guilt was assured in her mind. McGonagall stuck to that opinion, no matter how much any fancy litigator tried to rearrange the actual facts of the case.

Hermione was whispering to Harry that she would be fine before she left his side to face her turn as a witness. She too was forced to admit that she hadn't seen the legilimens curse cast. It was when Braithwaite then chose to focus on Harry's reaction to his client, indicating that it was actually Severus Snape who'd been the injured party, that Hermione cut lose.

"Harry's magic responded to an attack on his person, that this attack was by a death eater was probably responsible for the severity of that response."

This somewhat took the breath from everyone inside the courtroom, though Braithwaite soon came back at her. "Are you accusing my client of being a death eater?"

"Harry's magic concentrated its attack on his left forearm, where Voldemort branded his followers…" Hermione ignored the screams that her saying the Dark Lord's name caused, she didn't even blink as she twisted the knife into Snape.

"If your client would like to roll up his sleeve and prove me wrong, that would settle this argument right now. Since Snape's master, Voldemort, attacked Harry when he was a baby, I'm certain that's why Harry's magic had such a reaction to one of that cowardly bastard's marked followers firing a spell at him." Hermione's innocent and sweet voice saying those words just added to their effect.

"You say his name?"

She stared at Braithwaite as if he was a big slug, or should that be a caterpillar. The man didn't have two distinct eyebrows, rather one large bushy one that ran the width of his forehead. Every time he raised one end of it, Hermione couldn't help but think of a hairy caterpillar trying to escape into Braithwaite's receding hairline.

"Why should I be frightened of a name?"

"Well, there could be reprisals..."

"Oh, you mean death eaters, like your client, could be upset with me? I'm the first magic user in my family, and also Harry Potter's girlfriend. Do you think me saying Voldemort's name in public will make those death eaters still at large hate me any more?"

Braithwaite slowly and deliberately looked the plain muggle born young witch up and down before passing his own judgement with a sneer Malfoy would have been proud of. "Well, we were all young once, and also all made mistakes. Girlfriends come and go, but remarks like that will see you remembered..."

Harry was on his feet without realising he had stood, his anger at the litigator though had his voice turning ice cold. "That is my intended you are insulting and, last time I looked, she's not the one on trial here. I also noticed you didn't answer the question that your client is a death eater, could that be because the person paying your fee is a death eater too?"

Amelia then jumped all over Braithwaite, and it took all his skill as a litigator to direct his opponent away from pressing his client over the death eater matter. Part of that redirection saw him declaring he had no more questions for Hermione, allowing her to return to her seat. She didn't have time to speak with Harry, far less calm him down any before it was his turn to take the witness stand.

This was the one Braithwaite had been waiting for. He was never going to score any points against Dumbledore or McGonagall, and no one of any proper standing gave a shit about what a mudblood said. This though was Harry Potter. Tearing apart the eleven year old legend would bring him fame - and a fortune from Lucius Malfoy.

"Ah, the fabled boy-who-lived..."

Harry didn't even pay Braithwaite the courtesy of looking in his direction, those green eyes that Hermione loved so much were firmly fixed on Snape. Harry's voice was again level but contained a menace that belied his eleven year old body. "My name is Harry James Potter. I was born to parents who had thrice defied the Dark Lord, I was born as the seventh month died. Your client has exactly sixty seconds to reconsider his future, before he doesn't have one."

The laughter coming from the litigator was loud and theatrical, until he turned around and spotted his terrified client. Braithwaite moved his large body until it was between his client and the boy's view, this just resulted in Harry moving his gaze to his watch.

"You think you can sit there and threaten people?"

"Everyone in this courtroom just witnessed you trying to do the same to my intended, payback is a right bitch. Ask your client if he thinks I'm bluffing. Just be quick about it, he has twenty two seconds left, twenty one…"

At that, Severus Snape stood and uttered his first words of the trial. "I wish to change my plea to guilty."

For a large man, Braithwaite was light and fast on his feet. He was in front of Snape just as the last syllable left the potion master's lips. "What? You can't do that!"

Making no effort to hide the smirk in his voice, Harry rubbed salt into Braithwaite's severely wounded pride. "He can, and he just has."

The litigator may have been quick on his feet but Dumbledore's wand was lightning fast. Braithwaite was frozen in the motion of angrily springing at Harry as Albus' powerful voice boomed around the courtroom. "These children are in my care, everyone in this courtroom would do well to remember that."

In the silence that followed Dumbledore's intervention, Harry's voice rang out crystal clear. "When I was held by that spell, Litigator Braithwaite, a Malfoy tried to curse me in the back. Considering there is one behind you, I would be very worried right about now. I hope you at least got your fee up front, that way you will only be left morally bankrupt. Then again, death eater gold is tainted with the blood of innocents. What does that do to your soul?"

While Braithwaite couldn't answer due to Dumbledore's spell, Lucius couldn't resist shouting from where he was sitting. "What are you insinuating, boy?"

"Pardon me, sir, it was never my intention to insinuate anything. I'll just state a few facts and let these good people make their own minds up. It's a documented fact that a person under the imperius curse remembers everything they did. With the number of crimes you committed, you don't appear very contrite to me. It is also a fact that I was the person who cut the strings that were making you Voldemort's puppet. I'm not looking for gratitude but your son attacking me twice is a bit fucking much." Harry's temper finally came out to play as he stared daggers at the senior blond prick. "Know this, Malfoy. Your son draws his wand on me again, I'll take him apart..."

"Who are you to threaten the Malfoys..."

"I'm the person who, while still a toddler, defeated the Dark Lord that had you completely in his control. I'm also the person who intends to see every death eater that willingly followed Voldemort brought to justice. Your friend Snape just pleaded guilty to avoid that fate. What are you gonna do about the taint on your name, Malfoy? Since your buddy Snape changed his plea, we seem to have a free seat in this courtroom right now. Step forward and clear your name, prove to everyone in this courtroom those rumours about you being a murdering death eater are nothing but lies."

Lucius stormed out the courtroom, Harry's 'I didn't think so' ringing in his ears.

One gesture from Amelia had been enough to stop her aurors from interfering as the incident kicked off. They, like their boss, had stood ready as the entire scene played out. Now that it had, Amelia once more retook control. "Harry, since the accused has changed his plea, there are no further questions for you to answer. You may return to your intended."

The smile on her face as she said that disappeared the instant she turned to face Braithwaite.

"You, Sir, will behave in a manner fitting to someone of your profession who is inside a courtroom. Otherwise you will soon find yourself in need of a litigator because I will have you arrested in a heartbeat. Do you understand?"

After being released by Albus, a beaten Braithwaite nodded his consent before shuffling back to his seat. The courtroom then waited as some shocked judges reached their verdict. Severus Snape was sentenced to three years in Azkaban, with two of them suspended and his behaviour in the island prison determining whether or not he served them.

Hermione meanwhile had Harry wrapped in her arms. Her mouth was right next to his ear as she whispered her fears. "I can't lose you again."

Albus gave them a moment before interrupting. "Your intended, Harry?"

Harry slipped out of Hermione's hug, though you still couldn't fit a sheet of parchment between them. "That wizard was looking down his nose at Hermione, some in the crowd were sniggering at his remarks too. That was unacceptable. Hermione has protected me, it was my turn to do the same."

Turning to his girlfriend, Harry gave Hermione his grade one 'you love me anyway' smile. "I suppose I really should have asked you first…"

"And I would ask you to watch your language as you do so, Mister Potter."

They could both tell Professor McGonagall wasn't really angry with them, again though Harry attempted to protect Hermione. "I'm sorry, Professor, that's entirely my fault. Hermione is teaching me so many of her good habits, it would seem one of my bad ones had rubbed off on her."

They were joined by Amelia who had heard that part of the conversation. "Harry, I've also been known to use the odd curse word here and there. It's more a case of knowing when you can use it."

"I have a temper, Madam Bones, cursing helps me release some of that anger without resorting to violence - or magic."

"Would you care to explain to me just what you said to Snape? I've never seen anyone change their mind so fast."

"I'm sorry, Madam Bones, I can't. That information has been known to Professor Dumbledore since before I was born. If he hasn't mentioned it to you before now, then it's not something to worry about."

"I was actually more worried about your claims of seeing death eaters brought to justice. Just how were you intending to do that?"

"By studying hard and becoming an auror when I leave Hogwarts."

Harry's answer had Amelia laughing, with even McGonagall breaking into a smile. "Sure you do, Harry. Just don't go into politics, Cornelius would be out of a job in no time. The minister would actually like to meet with you today, if that's all right with you and the professors?"

"Would he be the one to ask about getting Hermione's house protected? Professor Dumbledore did something to my home many years ago that keeps my family safe. With Hermione now my intended, can we do something similar for the Grangers?"

"Oh this one really is a politician. The Minister would certainly be able to grant you permission to do that, he would probably be quite pleased to help."

"That's great. Madam Bones, is there anything else you think I should ask the minister for?"

This time the stern Minerva McGonagall couldn't help herself, she burst out laughing.

-oOoOo-

The Minister of Magic was left confused and bemused. Cornelius' only consolation being that he certainly wasn't the only one who got more than they bargained for when meeting Harry Potter for the first time. He was of course delighted to give permission for Dumbledore to erect wards around Miss Granger's property. He wasn't quite sure how he came to be signing underage use of magic licences for both Harry and his intended. Cornelius couldn't dispute though that there were elements of their society who would wish both children harm, thus felt justified at his actions. That Albus and Amelia also signed those licences meant they at least shared the blame, should the young couple use their exemptions to cause trouble.

Cornelius had enough trouble of his own. After that latest humiliation today, he was sure Lucius would soon be back at his door with some scheme to clear the Malfoy name. Given that Lucius had now refused two chances to do that very thing, Cornelius would need to have a ready excuse for denying whatever Malfoy wanted. After witnessing what happened today, nothing less than a full trial under truth serum would stand any chance of seeing Lucius Malfoy being believed.

He was so glad to have taken Albus' advice and had already started to publicly detach himself from the head of the Malfoy family. A cold shiver of fear ran through the minister at the thought he could have been sitting beside Lucius today, and therefore would have been tarnished purely by association. Cornelius intended to make sure that wouldn't happen by putting as much distance between him, his ministry, and Lucius Malfoy as possible.

-oOoOo-

Harry was having his second experience of wizarding culture. The boy-who-lived and Albus Dumbledore flooing into the Leaky Cauldron caused quite a stir. Hermione was able to use her new exemption to spell all the soot and dust off herself and Harry, though, with everyone's attention focused on the two gentlemen she was with, there was no notice paid to that at all.

Since, from an educational viewpoint, today was shot and tomorrow they boarded the express to London, Dumbledore offered to drop both of them off at Hermione's home. This would allow him to check the location and decide on the wards he intended to erect over the holidays.

It would be a few hours yet though before Hermione's parents finished work so Dumbledore had offered to take them to Diagon Alley and allow them to do some shopping. Watching a wide-eyed Harry as the arch opened up onto Diagon Alley was reward enough for Albus. Hermione took over the role of tour guide and, with her hand that wasn't wrapped in Harry's, pointed out the sights to her boyfriend/intended.

She of course was waxing lyrically on the many wonderful old tomes held in Flourish and Blott's, her only regret was she didn't have enough space in her bedroom at home for all the books she wanted. A cough from behind reminded both Harry and Hermione they had an escort today.

"Miss Granger, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. As a young man I faced the exact same problem. I solved this by creating a library trunk for myself. On the outside it looks just like a normal trunk but on the inside - let's just say it easily held all the books I had amassed. Since I have my own library at Hogwarts now, it would give me great pleasure in seeing it once more being used by someone who will appreciate it as much as I did. You never know, I might even leave a book or three in there as well…"

With a squeal of delight, Hermione acted like any other twelve year old receiving a wonderful gift from her grandfather - she hugged Albus to within an inch of his life while spouting thank-you's at speeds only matched by a machine gun.

A smiling Harry then stated the obvious. "I take it we're hitting the bookstore then?"

"Oh yes, but first I want to get presents for my mum and dad. They would really appreciate something from the magical world."

"Great idea - you can help me with that too."

Grabbing Harry's hand, Hermione dragged him off in the direction of a shop she'd chosen. A smiling Albus followed on behind. He was a little sad that his chosen lifestyle had denied him the opportunity to have children and grandchildren of his own, that didn't mean he couldn't be a grandfather figure to these two though. Miss Granger's very presence here was a massive wake-up call that he had clearly made a complete balls of the situation. Every time he saw that young witch smile gave him hope this time he could get it right. That she was currently grinning from ear to ear made Albus feel better than he had for years.

Minerva was perfectly capable of running Hogwarts while he indulged himself for a few hours in Diagon Alley. As long as he was back for the feast tonight, Minerva probably wouldn't even know he was still missing.

-oOoOo-

The Range Rover pulled into the Grangers' driveway and Dan applied the brakes a touch sharper than he'd intended. As Emma felt the seatbelt tighten, she ignored the sensation in favour of concentrating on the same thing her husband was. There were lights on in their house when no one was home. Both their unasked questions were answered as their front door flew open and their beloved daughter rushed toward the car.

This may have left the parents with a whole different set of unanswered questions but those questions could wait a few moments. Emma had her seatbelt off and was out of the car before Hermione had reached them, her arms soon locked around her growing girl for the first time in nearly four months. For a family that liked their hugs, that now felt like an absolute age. A pair of masculine arms wrapped both his girls up as the Granger family was complete once more.

The icy December drizzle that was falling cut the family reunion short, and meant any questions would be kept for inside. Even although they now had a witch for a daughter, the Grangers were still a very practical family. Discussions were far better held sitting comfortably around a cozy fire, rather than standing outside in weather that couldn't make its mind up whether to be rain, sleet or snow.

Taking a few seconds to ensure the car was locked and secure, Dan then took his daughter's offered arm - Emma had the other - as all three headed inside. The wide smile Hermione was sporting allayed any fears that, whatever the reason she was home early and unannounced, this was bad news.

As a Tolkien fan, only this man's almost regal robes - and his lack of a staff - stopped Dan drawing the obvious comparisons. Hermione made the introductions, her parents' attentions quickly shifting focus to the young boy who'd practically gone unnoticed in Albus Dumbledore's colourful presence. Hermione introducing him as 'my Harry' instantly made this boy the centre of attention for Daniel and Emma Granger.

Hermione poured cups of tea as Dumbledore provided both parents with the explanation they were looking for. Dan and Emma listened intently and, while not pleased that their daughter ended up in a courtroom, they recognised that the school had done everything in their power to protect both children. It was when the Headmaster mentioned erecting magical protection around their home that mental alarm bells started going off in both Grangers' minds. Emma just beat Dan in voicing her concerns. "Is that really necessary?"

Sitting comfortably squished into a large chair with Hermione, and of course holding her hand, Harry had been studying her parents during their discussions with Dumbledore. Hermione said he had met them briefly in the last timeline but, having no memories of that, this was the first meeting for all three of them. Harry could instantly see the beautiful woman his Hermione would become sitting across from them. He knew Hermione as a twelve year old, a nineteen year old and now had the early thirties version to confirm he was a lucky man. Emma seemed every inch as warm and loving as her daughter who Harry adored.

Her father was a different case. That's not to say there was any animosity there, Harry just didn't know what to make of Dan. While he could easily expand his love for Hermione to include her mother, the only father figure Harry had ever known was his Uncle Vernon. Learning that all those memories were false had seriously affected Harry, leaving him with the problem of who and what he could trust. He didn't want that to affect his, and especially Hermione's, relationship with her parents. Harry decided it was time to speak up.

"Ma'am, sir, those protections really are necessary - because of me. Something happened when I was a toddler that sees a large proportion of magical society treat me like a hero. It's the small section who hate me, and everything I appear to stand for, that make putting protections around Hermione's home a very good idea. My own home has had them since my parents were killed, and we didn't even know they were there."

Squeezing Hermione's hand for courage, Harry pressed on. "That litigator was making fun of Hermione today, insinuating she wasn't good enough for me and I would soon find that out for myself. Nothing could be further from the truth and I wasn't for letting him publicly insult her. I announced to the packed court that Hermione was my intended, and she didn't even give me any hassle about not asking her first."

The two kids were now in a world of their own as Hermione reached up to touch his cheek. "You've got a good few years before we get engaged, that will give you plenty of time to get asking me right by then."

Like all fathers of daughters, Dan had often wondered how he would cope when Hermione eventually turned up with the inevitable boyfriend. None of those thoughts had ever come close to the situation he was now faced with. Looking at the messy haired, bespectacled, skinny kid who was gazing into his little princess's eyes, Dan really could only react one way.

Hermione experienced an initial surge of anger as her father burst into loud helpless laughter. That was before she felt Harry relax beside her, and noticed he was actually smiling.

Emma was smiling too as she asked what was a friendly question. "And when did this best friend become your boyfriend?"

"Harry's still my best friend, Mum. He always will be..."

Emma's smile widened at that while Dan finally got his laughter under control. He was wiping tears from his eyes as he spoke to the kids. "Sorry about that, Princess. You have to admit though, on the absurdity scale that has to be up there in the Monty Python bracket. Never mind the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects their daughter to have an intended just after they turned twelve."

The Headmaster was pleased to see how accepting Miss Granger's parents were of the situation, though Albus had no idea what part a snake or those Spanish torturers played in it. Muggles were just so curious. "These two bought some books, a few of them detailing with the position of being someone's intended. I'm afraid I need to return to Hogwarts for the leaving feast but I will send a message to arrange a time for installing your wards. I will of course answer any further questions you have then."

Saying his goodbyes, Albus stepped into the back garden and disapparated.

As the four made their way back into the sitting room, Hermione had one more surprise for her parents. "Mum, dad, there's someone else we want you to meet. Dobby."

The excitable little elf had never been happier in his life. Dobby had loved working for the Grangers in France, they had become his family. The only thing missing had been the person who granted Dobby his freedom, Harry Potter. Now they were all in the same house, Dobby's family was finally complete. His excitement at that was clearly palpable, he was bouncing on his feet. "Dobby is really happy to meet the wonderful Hermione's parents."

A snap of the elf's long fingers saw the cups and saucers disappear, being replaced with Emma's favourite latte, a glass of stout for Dan and pumpkin juice for Harry and Hermione. "Dobby will have dinner on the table in an hour, and Dobby got these from Harry Potter's vault." Handing a small velvet covered ring box to Harry, the little elf then popped away.

The appearance of the ring box certainly moved this situation out of the 'laughing at' category for Dan, that both kids couldn't take their eyes off each other solidified that opinion.

Harry opened the ring box and Hermione gasped at what it held. A pair of solid silver rings that were obviously as ancient as they were beautiful. The smaller ring was the female of the pair, thinner and more decorative than its male counterpart, though both proudly displayed the Potter crest.

As Harry slipped the correct ring on her finger, Hermione recited the words they had learned earlier from the book. "While I wear this ring, I will consider no other." She then picked out Harry's ring and they repeated the procedure. The spark of magic that then passed between the two rings was visible even to the two watching muggles. Both Harry and Hermione leaning in for a gentle kiss broke the enchantment the watching adults felt they were under, neither Dan nor Emma doubted what they had just witnessed was anything less than magical.

"Okay you two, we have a lot to talk about..."

That her mother was sitting down with her latte as she said that eased any fears Hermione had that this could go bad. She knew her parents would be concerned but, seeing no danger, would sit and talk it out. She and Harry would be answering a lot of questions though it was a case of 'so far so good' as far as the young couple were concerned.

They also still had their secret weapon. Dobby would be making a meal that contained her mum and dad's favourites. Seeing their daughter very happy, and wonderful food appearing on the table should have them won over in no time. She knew the Dursleys would be a much harder nut to crack. For Harry however, Hermione would give it everything she had.


	6. A Warm Welcome

A/N It was with great sorrow that I read of the passing of a brilliant fan fiction author, Broomstick Flyer. She and her husband, Merlin's Apprentice, were authors of some of the first fan fiction I ever read. Without doubt those stories impacted heavily on my own writing style and shipping pairings, Souls Abound being directly credited to a ludicrous cannon concept she was gloriously lampooning. This Welsh couple have been responsible for many, many hours of happy Harry Potter reading for me and countless others around the world. It is with a heavy heart I sat to read her last efforts, yet even then, she can still make me smile with her wonderful turn of phrase and irrepressible sense of humour. Broomstick Flyer, you will be missed...

**Chapter 6 - A Warm Welcome **

Lying in bed, Emma watched from behind her open book as Dan paced up and down their bedroom. She knew he was concerned and tried to ease his fears.

"You were laughing about this whole thing, right up until those rings appeared. This book clearly states it's exactly as Hermione and Harry said. If they decide that being a couple is no longer what they want, all she has to do is take the ring off and hand it back."

Seeing this hadn't settled her husband, Emma tried a different tactic. "I got my first ring from Billy Wright..."

This stopped Dan in his tracks, as she knew it would. "I was six, he was seven and we bought lucky bags from the little corner shop. Remember them, you paid your money and didn't know what you were going to get until you opened the paper bag. I got a black plastic spider along with the usual sweets in mine, Billy got a pink ring with a green stone - all genuine plastic too. We swapped, and didn't say any magical words. If I remember correctly, I woke up the next morning and my finger was a funny colour - mum made me take the ring off and throw it in the bin."

Dan sat on the bed beside his wife, now playing along with her story. "And just what happened to this Billy character?"

"Oh, Billy gave me my spider back..." Her pause saw Dan's eyebrows raised, Emma then delivered the punchline. "He stuck it down the back of my dress, I didn't speak to him again after that."

Seeing Dan's grin started her own. "There's the man I married. Now, tell me what's really worrying you?"

When Dan started voicing his fears, Emma just let him go to get it off his chest. "It's Hermione. We put a young girl onto that train back in September and now find ourselves with a young woman by December. Even her letters changed since that Halloween, ever since she hooked up with her best friend - boyfriend - intended. Hermione has always been mature for her age but she seems to have pushed that concept to new limits - and then there's Harry..."

Pausing for a moment to arrange his thoughts, Dan then continued laying everything out to his wife. "The boy is like no other eleven year old we've ever met. He's polite, courteous, has impeccable manners. Harry's obviously wealthy, that little servant of his mentioned getting those rings out of a vault, and that owl of his is the most gorgeous bird I've ever seen. What eleven year old that you know of would use their money to buy their girlfriend books? We both know that with Hermione, books are better gifts than flowers, chocolates or even jewellery. How does an eleven year old boy figure that out? At eleven, I hadn't even figured out what a girl was, far less the best way to treat them."

"I'm more concerned about this family of his, Dan. Harry is exactly as you describe him, so, apart from him being your daughter's intended, what's not to like about the lad? The whole 'losing memory' thing concerns me too. It just seems too glib an excuse, except their headmaster confirmed every word of it. I remember Hermione mentioning this weird boy-who-lived thing before she left for Hogwarts. She'd worked out they would be in the same year-group and hoped to meet him. It would seem she got her wish..."

"Yeah, I completely forgot about the entire fame thing..."

"Probably because Harry wants nothing to do with it. You forgot to mention something else, those two are totally besotted with each other."

"I may not have mentioned it, I certainly didn't forget about it."

"Dan, they are both here with us for the next two weeks. Let's just see how that goes before worrying ourselves into a couple of ulcers. They're eleven and twelve, we've got at least a couple of years yet before we need to do that."

Slipping into bed beside his wife, he kissed her on the cheek. "I always knew you were the smart one, I'm so glad Hermione takes after you..."

"So, you married me because I was smart?"

A few more kisses followed as Dan confessed that was only one reason, there certainly were others. He then showed Emma exactly what those 'others' were. It was two happy and satisfied Grangers who finally fell asleep. They would deal with their daughter and her intended a day at a time for now, watching and learning as they went along.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was again reminded this version of Harry was different from the one she remembered. That Harry wouldn't have had a clue about buying clothes, this Harry had his own style and knew exactly what he wanted.

Her mother had already arranged to take today off work, expecting to have to be picking Hermione up in King's Cross. Instead, they were getting Harry a new wardrobe - in record time too. So much so that, by the time Harry insisted on treating them both to lunch, his clothes shopping was done.

Emma watched with concern at how close these two were, that concern though was balanced by the fact she'd never seen Hermione happier. When, during lunch, Harry mentioned needing to find presents for his family, Emma took that golden opportunity to ask a few questions about that particular subject that were troubling her.

Harry's brows furrowed in concern as he tried to answer those questions as honestly as he could. "Emma, I'm sorry but I just don't know what you're asking. After the troll incident, Hermione and I were chatting and she noticed I was talking about my family differently. I had apparently told her a few things before the incident, and my opinions had now changed radically. That's why we asked you to send the letter, I needed to know. Hermione was of course right, and everything I remember about my family is wrong - except to me. A healer and Professor Dumbledore have examined me, there's nothing to be done except be thankful I escaped with nothing worse than wonky memories. I have a slight confession to make though, I was Hermione's boyfriend before Halloween. She was the only person at Hogwarts I remembered, she has been my everything since."

That they were a couple before Halloween was not a startling revelation to the concerned mother, the extent of Harry's injury that night was. Rather than easing Emma's fears over Harry's memory loss, it gave her some brand new ones. She focused her attention on Hermione. "Could you please describe this troll to me?"

"It was about twelve feet tall, a ton of muscle with a very small brain. It had me trapped in that toilet and was closing in, that was until Harry arrived. He tried to distract it and, when that didn't work, ran and jumped onto its back. He had both arms locked around its neck as that creature went crazy, trying to fling him off..."

Harry's hand soon covered Hermione's, their rings glinting in the restaurant's subtle lighting. Harry was speaking to both Granger ladies, though knew each would take different meanings from his words. "Hermione blames herself for what happened to me, but it was my choice. I would make the exact same choice again in a heartbeat, your daughter really does mean everything to me."

Her daughter's smile at that affected Emma nearly as much as it did Harry, she still needed to ask questions though. "Where does that leave you, Harry?"

"Well, staying with you for Christmas, and I'm hoping for part of the summer too..."

This made Emma smile. "We just met yesterday but already I feel confident in saying you can stay with us anytime. That wasn't what I meant though, and I'm also sure you two knew that too."

Hearing that news really pleased Hermione. "Thanks mum, and yes, we both knew that. Harry's determined to connect with his family, and I'm determined to help."

"Oh dear, this is going to sound terrible but I need to ask. Will that be safe? Just how bad was the situation with your family?"

Harry's smile washed away her worries that she'd offended him. "You're a concerned parent, of course you have to ask. There is nothing to worry about though, nothing will happen to Hermione. We both have our wands and Dobby will be keeping a close watch on the situation. He won't let any harm come to us, and could have us both out of there in the blink of an eye."

Having seen the little elf in action, a wonderful dinner appearing on their table last night and then Harry's packages disappearing today when no one was looking, Emma was now a lot happier about the situation. "Dan and I will of course come with you too, if you want us to?"

"Thanks for offering, Emma, and maybe another time. I wanted to go alone for my first visit..."

"...but I wasn't standing for that. We'll be fine, mum, as long as I can hold my temper. I'm warning you now, Harry, I will not stand there quietly if they start belittling you."

"Nor me you. As you can see, Emma, we'll be fine."

After having his eyes tested, Harry paid extra to have his contacts ready before the Christmas break. They would now be available next day, Christmas Eve, so Harry was very happy with that. He would be delighted to lose the horrible glasses. After getting his hair cut, Harry began to feel more like himself. He noticed though this seemed to negatively affect Hermione's mood, so Harry quietly asked her about it first chance he got.

Seeing her mother was looking at something the other side of the store aisle, Hermione thought it was safe to talk. "With your haircut, new clothes and contacts, you're going to look just like the young man who approached me in the uni bar. The only problem is, I look nothing like the girl you approached..."

Harry leaned forward and gently kissed her lips, ending her rant and worries. "It's you I love, Hermione, not any specific part. The hair you think is bushy, the front teeth you think are too big, things like that don't matter to me. You being the person you are, my Hermione, that's what counts..."

It was Hermione who now kissed Harry, only to find her smiling mother standing behind her. "Is there any more shopping we need to do, or is it time to go home?"

"Just one more thing, and I was going to ask for your help with this. I want to buy some perfume for my Aunt Petunia, I just don't have a clue about things like that..."

Emma had heard what Harry had just said to her daughter. As far as she was concerned, this boy had just earned himself any help she could give. The three of them headed off to the perfume counter.

-oOoOo-

After having his contacts fitted on Christmas Eve, the plan was for Harry and Hermione to then visit Little Whinging - with Dobby providing the transport. Dan though put his foot down, insisting he and Emma would pick both of them up to head for home after they finished with their last patient. They weren't necessarily attempting to engineer a meeting with the Dursleys, rather just let these people know there was adult support behind both kids - and at approximately what time that support would arrive.

Their elven friend dropped the young couple on the outskirts of the estate that contained Privet Drive, leaving Harry and Hermione with about a five minute walk. Snow was lightly falling, lending a festive atmosphere as all the houses were decorated and lit for Christmas. Harry though wasn't feeling the festive spirit, Hermione could feel him shaking through their clasped hands.

"Harry, I won't be moving from your side today…"

"I know, it's not that I'm worried about. I'm assuming you're the same as me - in that every time you look in the mirror you don't see yourself. It's getting less and less of a shock as I get used to my new appearance as an eleven year old, this time though I'm going through the mirror again. This time it won't be a totally strange environment - like Hogwarts. This is supposed to be my home - my family. I'm dreading what I'm going to find but I need to know…"

Harry stopped talking as they had now entered Privet Drive, the door of number four was looming large.

Wondering who was at the door, and knowing her two boys wouldn't move from their television program to find out, Petunia headed down what she rather pretentiously called their entrance hall. She opened the door to find two lovely children standing there. Both were well dressed and it was easy to see they took a pride in their appearance - something she was always trying to instil into Dudley. "Yes, dears, can I help you?" Petunia then almost fainted on the spot, recognising the voice before the boy it came from.

"Hello, Aunt Petunia. We dropped by with some gifts, and to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Oh, sorry, where are my manners. This is Hermione Granger, my best friend and whose family I'm currently staying with."

Hermione managed a 'Pleased to meet you, Ma'am' in a sweet voice, a not inconsiderable task considering inside she was raging. It was like a switch being flicked with this woman the instant she recognised her nephew, Hermione wondered if they were actually going to make it inside the house.

Realising she couldn't have a scene on the doorstep for the neighbours to witness, Petunia moved to allow them access. "You'd better come in then. how did you get here?"

"We got the bus, but my parents are picking us up after they finish work. With it being Christmas Eve, they're finishing early and will be here about half past three. We intended to be here a little earlier but Harry's appointment at the Opticians overran, making us late."

Since it was now just after two, Petunia was thinking at least they wouldn't have to suffer them for long. "What do your parents do, Hermione was it?"

"My parents have their own dental practice, both are dentists. Harry gave them your number in case some emergency turns up and delays them, I hope you don't mind?"

It was actually possible for the two kids to see the cogs whirling behind Petunia's eyes as her brain shifted gears. "Your parents are dentists? Don't you go to the same school as him.. Eh, Harry?"

Hermione felt her intended's wince at that comment, keeping her smile in place was a Herculean effort. "Of course we do, that's how we met."

Harry was being led through the house he grew up in by the woman who was the nearest thing to a mother he had, yet he felt as if he was in some horrible nightmare. Nothing was the same, and none of it was different in a good way. His Aunt's greeting was as cold as the winter weather and his home displayed not one trace of him. Pictures of Dudley were everywhere, and Harry didn't appear in any of them. He was clinging to Hermione's hand like it was his anchor in this emotional storm that threatened to overwhelm him.

Hermione stuck to Harry's side as if glued there. Returning to the house she hadn't set foot in for years, and then seeing her own parents being younger, was strange enough. She couldn't even begin to imagine how bad this must be for Harry, and it was just about to get a lot worse. While the telly was easily loud enough to mask their entrance, Harry's uncle managed to bellow over its volume without any trouble at his first sight of his nephew.

"What are you doing here, boy? We thought we might have gotten rid of you for good. Don't tell me those people you were staying with threw you out? Not that I blame them but you are not staying here, I won't have you ruining our Christmas..."

Harry was leaning into Hermione for support as the verbal blows kept coming, something Dudley was quick to pick up on. "Hey, dad, the freak's got himself a girlfriend..."

That was a step too far for Hermione, she sprang to Harry's defence. "Who are you calling a freak? Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"I'll knock those big teeth right down your..."

Dudley couldn't say anymore as he was confronted by a very angry Harry Potter, a Harry Potter who was glowing with magic. Harry was also making the house shake and the lights blink.

"Don't even think about it, Dud. She could swat you like a bug, but I won't allow it to reach that stage."

"Harry, love, you need to calm down. You're only seconds away from blasting out all the windows. Just leave the presents you brought and we'll wait outside for my mum and dad. It will be warmer out there anyway, at least warmer than the welcome we received here. Wish them a Merry Christmas and we're gone..."

The girl had said the magic word as far as Dudley was concerned, everything else was forgotten instantly. "Presents, Potter brought us presents?"

The walrus though wasn't so easily appeased. "I hope these presents weren't bought in some freak shop..."

Turning her ire onto the large man, Hermione let him have it too. "I don't know what you consider to be a 'freak' shop, but Harry bought everything in Harrods. Drop the bag and let's go, Harry..."

"You will be going nowhere, except to sit down and have a cup of tea while we wait for Hermione's parents." Petunia then faced down her husband and son. "You two sit there and watch the telly, they'll be gone in an hour or so."

Hermione tugged Harry's hand to follow his aunt, he dropped the bag he'd held in his other hand and staggered on like a zombie. His emotions were all over the place, the shock of getting ready to flatten the boy he thought of as his brother just the latest to leave him numb inside.

Sitting at that kitchen table while his aunt made tea felt so normal yet utterly alien at the same time. An excited Dudley bursting in just added to the normality and alienness of the entire situation.

"Mum, mum, Potter got me a Sega Game Gear - and three games! Dad got gold cufflinks and you got some smelly stuff..."

"That's nice, diddums..."

At that Dudley raced back out, obviously to go and play with his new gift.

Hermione was appalled. Dudley had unwrapped all three presents, then appeared in Harry's presence and didn't even say thank you. Not only that, his mother made no attempt to reprimand her son - or at least remind him of his manners.

Petunia was actually too busy congratulating herself for not being the talk of the street. These two children standing out in the snow while waiting on being collected would surely have been noticed, it was Christmas Eve too. That they chose to spend so long standing out there, rather than be in this house, would certainly have had the girl's parents knocking on their door to discover the reason why.

No, Petunia would keep them in here drinking tea, she might even offer up the biscuit tin. It was also an opportunity to get the girl talking, and find out just what kind of people her parents were. That two dentists were saddled with a witch for a daughter was a tragedy, she wondered how they coped. Here was her chance to find out.

"Are you the first person with, you know, in your family, Hermione?"

Thinking seeing her and his aunt chatting might have Harry relaxing a little, Hermione tried to be sociable. "Oh yes, quite the shock for my mum and dad. It was explained to us however that I would need to go to our school to learn to control it, that doesn't mean we have to stay there forever."

Petunia well remembered her sister leaving for that school. Lily was never the same again, and when home couldn't wait to get back there. This girl seemed to have different ideas, and apparently her nephew was being counted in as part of everything Hermione had planned. She wanted to hear this different point of view, and not just out of nosiness. "What do you mean? I thought once you were in - that was it. Can you change, you know, switch it off?"

"You can't switch it off, but you can choose to live what we would all consider a normal life. We need to stay at our school until the end of our fifth year. Once you've sat those exams, that's you qualified to leave. If we can keep up with our normal coursework, we should still be able to sit our A levels and think about university...

"Harry? University?"

"Harry is very smart, easily smart enough for university. Harry and I are the top two students in our year..."

"Must be a small year!" Was shouted from the living room, then accompanied by loud laughter. Hermione hadn't even noticed the volume on the TV had been lowered.

Petunia turned her attention to her nephew. "And what do you think about this?"

Harry stared into the face that he remembered looking lovingly back at him, and he didn't recognise his Aunt Petunia. This version was broadcasting by her very demeanour that she didn't think he was good enough to go to university, she didn't think he was good enough for anything.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." With that, Harry shot out of his seat, Hermione hot on his heels. He made the downstairs loo before regurgitating everything he'd eaten in the last fortnight - or at least that's how it felt. Harry had his head in the bowl while Petunia was shouting that, if he made a mess, he'd be cleaning it up. If Hermione wasn't so concerned for Harry, she would probably have scalped the uncaring bitch for that.

The downstairs loo was tiny, and also had two people already occupying it. That was why Dobby appeared standing in the wash hand basin, a potion to settle Harry's stomach in one hand and a glass of iced water in the other. Hermione quickly took them both, not wanting their little friend to be seen.

Harry knocked back the potion before sipping on the water. "Sorry for dragging you into this..."

She smiled back at him. "If I remember rightly, it was me who dragged you into this..."

"You didn't need to do much dragging, I would have followed you anywhere..."

"Are you two finished in there yet? Spray some air freshener, you know where I keep it."

In an act of defiance that made Harry grin, Hermione whipped her wand out and, a few spells later, the loo was not only pine fresh but spotless.

They headed back to the kitchen where Harry apologised. Vernon could be heard muttering loudly about good food wasted on people not worthy of it.

Petunia tried to turn the conversation around to summer, and specifically what Harry would be doing - or where he'd be staying.

Having a good read on these people now, Hermione decided on a little payback. "My mum's already said Harry can stay with us anytime. Then again, he took us both shopping in London yesterday, and also insisted on paying for lunch in a very nice restaurant. We usually go on holiday for a month at the summer, Harry will definitely be coming with us. It might be the South of France or Spain, though my dad keeps talking about trying Tuscany."

Vernon could be heard muttering again, this time about bloody foreigners, before the car horn brought relief to everyone - the Grangers were early. Jealousy was again on the menu as Vernon, looking out the window, asked if that was a company car her father was driving, giving Hermione another opportunity to rub their stuck up noses, especially the one with a dead rat under it, in their own jealous bile.

"My mum and dad are both dentists, and also run their own practice. I don't know if their car is a business expense or not, I just always remember my dad having a Range Rover. C'mon Harry, we're going to buy our tree - it's a family tradition." Hermione glancing over at the Dursleys' pathetic purple plastic one saw a stung Petunia defend her sterile supposed spruce.

"I wouldn't have a real tree in my house, you never know what you're bringing in with it."

Slipping her arm around Harry's waist, Hermione made sure they knew she wasn't talking about trees. "Oh, they're fabulous! You don't know what you're missing."

She was leading Harry toward the waiting car when they both heard Dudley whining behind them. "How come Potter gets to go on holiday abroad, and for a month? That's not fair, I want to go too..."

Only Harry heard Hermione mutter 'over my dead body' as she opened the car door and pushed him in, sliding in herself right behind her intended.

As they drove away, Dan was going to make a joke about the car having more than one door when a glance in the mirror at Hermione's face told him this wasn't the time. "As bad as that, Princess."

"No, dad, worse."

That she didn't react to his 'princess' jibe told both parents just how bad it was. Hermione had Harry wrapped in her arms, his silent sobs were still visible to Emma and Dan. "They didn't get physical or anything, did they?"

The sarcastic laugh from Hermione answered Emma's question before she spoke. "Dudley made some threatening noises in my direction, Harry nearly pulled the house down around their ears. My Harry is a very powerful wizard, the Dursleys caught a glimpse of that today. It should have scared the hell out of them but they are too stupid to understand what they witnessed. How my Harry grew up to be such a fine person while living there is a total mystery."

Hermione's jacket was open, they hadn't even been invited to take them off by the Dursleys, and she could feel Harry's tears soaking through her jumper. His face was buried there so no one would see him cry. Each tear he shed just added to Hermione's anger, anger though was not what was needed here. She proved this when her father asked 'what happens now?'

"They are Harry's family, that will be up to him. One thing is for certain, he won't be setting foot inside that house without me by his side."

-oOoOo-

Harry woke as he'd like to wake every single day for the rest of his life, wrapped lovingly in Hermione's arms.

"Hey, good to have you back with us."

"Sorry, I…"

"Shush, you have nothing to be sorry about. The short time we were there was enough to nearly drive me nuts, it must have been a hundred times worse for you."

"I felt as if I'd walked into that old horror movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Those weren't the family I remember having."

This actually drew a giggle from Hermione. "Sorry, Harry. I was just imagining the size of pods that would have been needed for your cousin and uncle."

This drew a slight grin from Harry, before he realised where they were. They were snuggled in the back seat of the car, a car that was parked in the Grangers' driveway. "How long have we been here?"

"We arrived home only minutes ago. Mum and dad left me to wake you."

"Did you just forget about a tree?"

"No, I let those two big kids who were sitting in front pick our tree. Dad had only to get it around the side of the car where it couldn't be seen and Dobby popped it away. You have serious competition there, my parents like Dobby nearly as much as they do you."

"I'm just glad to be welcome somewhere, I certainly wasn't welcome at Privet Drive. I really don't know what to do next."

"Don't worry, I do. We enjoy our Christmas together then I need to sit with you and spill all my secrets. We'll deal with the Dursley problem then, along with all the others that talk throws up - but not until after Christmas." A quick kiss and Hermione had them heading inside, there to find her mum and dad standing drinking hot chocolate while admiring the beautiful tree.

"You've dressed the tree already?"

"Dobby had it decorated before we came home. Your little friend is incredible, Harry."

"Thanks, Dan, and sorry about earlier..."

Emma cut him right off. "Harry, we have only a vague idea of how painful that was for you, no apology is needed for us. I'm more pleased than I can say that you trusted Hermione enough to take her in there with you but remember, Dan and I are here for you too. I think that school of yours should be doing a lot more to help you with this. They caused the problem, and then you are left to deal with it on your own - that's just not right."

Thinking quickly, Harry closed that line of enquiry down. This was certainly not Hogwarts fault, and he didn't want anyone there knowing about it. "I haven't mentioned this to the school, I have my reasons. You may have heard I'm something of a celebrity in the magical world, there are even books written about my supposed life. Not having read them, I'm led to believe I had a wonderful childhood. They're pure fiction, no where do they mention having a family that doesn't want me and calls me a freak. If that got out, the Dursleys would be toast."

Dan's growl that it would serve them right saw Harry shake his head. "That would throw the question of my guardianship up in the air, there are powerful people who would actually like that. For all their faults, the Dursleys will let me live my own life - especially if they don't have to be a part of it. There are certain sections of magical society that will strongly object to Hermione and I being together. Even though their views on things like that are repulsive to me, they are mostly still considered respectable members of the community. Should someone like that gain guardianship of me, some of their laws are quite draconian. They could force Hermione and I apart until I'm seventeen, even broker a betrothal contract with the 'right type of witch' for me. I'll deal with the Dursleys any day of the week, rather than chance that happening."

Dobby appeared to take the young couple's jackets, and provide two mugs of his wonderful hot chocolate, so the discussion moved to the couches. Dan was clearly unhappy, and didn't care who knew it. "Betrothal contracts? Right type of witch? These people do know we're not living in the Victorian Era any longer, don't they? And this is the world we let our daughter enter, that McGonagall woman never mentioned any this."

"Dad, it's not all bad news." Hermione then tried the same spiel that she'd run past Petunia earlier, leaving Hogwarts after fifth year and considering university. This just seemed to make her father even angrier.

"Hermione, you just had your twelfth birthday a few months ago yet you sit there with your intended and are talking about university. What have they done to you? Where's the little girl I put on a train back in September?"

A shocked and tearful Hermione looked to Harry for advice, he soon gave it. "Your mum and dad can see something is wrong, they have also offered to help. You witnessed what happened when I met my family, this can't be allowed to screw up your relationship with your parents. They're good people, Hermione, and have been wonderful to me. Like you though, they're far too smart not to pick up on what's going on."

Nodding, Hermione called for Dobby. Saying it was a family meeting saw their little friend sit crosslegged on the floor.

"Mum, dad, what I'm going to tell you will seem nuts. Nevertheless, it's the truth. Please let me finish before you bombard me with questions, I'll answer all of them that I can later. I can't go too much into specifics about some things because that knowledge would be dangerous for you to have, I promise though I won't lie to you."

Seeing those shocked looks, Hermione pressed on before she lost her nerve. "We celebrated my last birthday in a little restaurant just outside Nice, about a fifteen minute drive from where we were living. I wondered why we didn't just let Dobby cook for us, I soon found out. One of mum's friends was there, along with her single, twenty year old law student of a son. Neither mother nor son were very happy that I pointblank ignored his advances, and that evening I had the worst fight I've ever had with my mother. It wasn't a very happy nineteenth birthday."

She took a sip of her hot chocolate and then smiled at Dobby, remembering that he had brought her the same drink that night as she lay crying on her bed. "The reason we were living in France, and also why I wasn't interested in anyone trying to find me a boyfriend is sitting right beside me. I've been in love with Harry Potter for over seven years and no one was going to take him away from me."

A cuddle from her intended settled Hermione for the worse part of her story. "The reason Harry wasn't there, and why we were living in France, was the dark lord had returned. Harry was there when it happened, and it cost another student from Hogwarts their life, but no one wanted to hear that terrible news. The magical government put him on trial with some manufactured charges. Harry, being Harry, called them a load of cowardly bastards who could all go and fuck themselves. Rather than accept his sound and sensible advice, they royally screwed him over. Dad, do you remember what McGonagall said would happen if we decided I didn't want to go to Hogwarts?"

With a growing sense of dread, Dan repeated the sentence that had horrified him at the time - actually it still did. "She said we would have our memories altered to forget all about magic, and you would have your magic bound."

"That's exactly what they did to Harry. He wasn't with me because he didn't even know who I was, they took him away just before I turned sixteen. Things in magical Britain started going downhill fast after Harry Potter's supposed trial. Professor Dumbledore was training me for what I needed to do, and also got you both out the country and settled in the South of France. I finished my fifth year at Hogwarts and then joined you, Professor Dumbledore was murdered soon after that. Harry was safe for now in our world while the magical one was torn apart. It took me another two and a half years to figure out exactly what I needed to do, when Voldemort really started looking for Harry though I was all out of time…"

"Time…you built a time machine?"

"No Dad, and there was no DeLorean involved. I'm a witch, I used my magic in a very specific ritual to throw both our spirits back in time. You and mum knew what I intended to attempt, and just how dangerous it was. That was why mum was trying to set me up with someone else, hoping I would change my mind. That just wasn't an option. We had a very tearful goodbye at Nice Airport, and you have no idea how pleased I was to see you both again. Harry's magic has returned with a vengeance but his memories are those the ministry gave him. What's particularly hurtful are his memories of growing up in a loving household with the Dursleys, the ministry obviously had to wipe their memories of magic too." Hermione was snuggling into Harry by this point and decided to finish it here.

"Dad, mum, it was never my intention to try and deceive you. Your future selves knew exactly what I was planning, and tried your best to support my choices. At that time you had only met Harry once, and that was briefly. All your objections were based on the fact that what I was planing was, in your opinion, way too dangerous for your daughter to be attempting."

A couple of astonished parents shared a glance before focusing on Harry, obviously wanting to hear his side of this.

"I was a first year veterinary student when I met this absolutely stunning young woman, ironically just before Christmas. For me it was like love at first sight, that troubled me because I'm not really like that. Hermione explaining that we had been best friends since I was eleven actually made more sense, in the strangest possible way. She knows I didn't really buy into the 'back to the future' thing, I was willing to cut my new girlfriend all the slack I could though. I was already thinking about introducing her to my family, and meeting hers. I knew in my heart of hearts she was the one, and she still is. My life has since changed beyond all recognition, your daughter is the one thing that still keeps me going."

Everyone recognised it was now question time. Dan intended to start off gently and build up to the big stuff. Like Harry, hearing their explanations made some sense to Dan, again in the strangest possible way. These two simply couldn't be eleven and twelve. "You mentioned Dobby was with us in France, is he in on this too?"

"Dobby is my friend, my family, the brother I never had. Without him, we wouldn't be sitting here. While performing the ritual, Harry and I were attacked. Dobby dealt with the attackers but found himself dragged back in time too - and, while we didn't know that was possible, all three of us couldn't be any happier about that. In the original timeline, Dobby was a slave to a family that treated him worse than an animal. Harry freed him and these two have been great friends ever since. Dobby counts any friend of Harry's as a friend of his too, that's the reason he was with us in France."

The little elf was almost glowing with pride and happiness. It was a measure of how comfortable Dobby was in this company that he felt able to speak about the situation. "Dobby has his whole family together for the first time ever, this makes Dobby a very happy house elf. House elves is allowed to protect their families, Dobby will protect his family."

This saw Emma wade right into the discussion. "All this talk of danger and protection, just how much danger are we in? Apparently moving to the South of France took us out of that danger the last time, what's to stop us doing the same again?"

"That would be me!"

All eyes were now on Harry again as he tried to explain that comment. "Hermione told me this psycho is determined to kill me, and a little thing like the English Channel isn't going to put him off. You were safe in France the last time because I wasn't with you…"

"…and Dobby and I didn't travel back in time to then leave Harry behind. This is one of the times you're going to have to trust my judgement, trust me though that I didn't go through three and a half years worth of very taxing work and tons of trouble to lose my Harry now. Harry and I both agreed, first sign of things getting as bad as they were before and we're all out of the country. You've both talked about Australia in the past, or was that in the future? That's the kind of move we might have to make, right round to the other side of the world from Britain."

"Hermione is teaching me magic so I can defend myself against any attack. Neither of us has any intention of going looking for trouble, and Dobby keeps an eye on us so that any trouble heading our way doesn't catch us unawares."

"Who else knows about this, that you two came back in time?"

"Only Professor Dumbledore, dad, and he doesn't know any details. He's a master at a technique that can pick thoughts right out your head. His future self taught me how to shield against that, and then made me take an oath not to tell his past self specific information. When the professor tried to read my thoughts, he not only found them shielded but recognised who taught me. I think that really scared him, that things must have gotten so bad he would help me learn how to travel back in time. It really was a desperate measure, a real last resort shot in the dark. This Professor Dumbledore is now a changed man, and he's also helping make the future a brighter one."

Questions and answers were then batted around for the next couple of hours, Dobby popping away and returning with some snacks. No one felt like sitting down to dinner tonight. Hermione was relieved her parents appeared to be accepting their story, and also that they couldn't be told certain things for fear of that information reaching others. Knowing she had absolutely no interest in football, her father had told her what to say if this situation ever came about. "Dad, Leeds United sign some Frenchman, Eric Cantona, and then go on to win the league. I've no idea if that's true, or whether your future self was playing some prank on me."

Knowing his daughter's absolute indifference to his beloved football, he had to accept he did indeed give her that message to pass on. Accepting these two were indeed time travellers, Dan then focused his attention and questions on a different area. "I'd like to know exactly what your relationship is now, and please be honest with us."

Honesty was exactly what Dan got from Harry. "I'm an eighteen year old man in an eleven year old body. Even saying that out loud seems weird and rather creepy, far less having to live with it every day. Hermione had trouble even kissing me because it felt to her like she was taking advantage of some kid. That is the total extent of our physical relationship at the moment, and neither of us can see that changing for the foreseeable future."

This appeared to please both parents so Harry pushed the honesty further. "While Hermione was teaching me how to protect my mind, she would sneak into my four poster bed. We would spend a couple of hours late at night working on that before snuggling in together, both of us of course in our pyjamas. Dobby would then pop her back to her own bed in the morning. I fully intend to marry your daughter, our journey down that road will of course be tempered by the ages of our bodies - rather than our minds. We're in no hurry though, we'll have the rest of our lives to spend together."

Hermione kissed his cheek at that while Dan seemed to give that answer careful consideration before nodding his head and rising from the couch. He offered Harry his hand.

"Welcome to the family, Harry."

After the reception he'd received in his own home earlier, Harry felt himself choking up at the meaning behind Dan's gesture. Emma then hugging him with the same sentiment had his eyes welling up. Dan then offering Dobby his hand, and also welcoming the little guy to their family saw those wells overflowing. Emma then hugging Dobby too meant Harry wasn't the only one with a few tears on his cheeks.

-oOoOo-

Harry lying in bed wide awake had nothing to do with it being Christmas Eve, he'd just had quite the day. Hermione entering his room was a surprise, her pulling back the covers and slipping in beside him was a shock - though a very welcome one.

Snuggling in, Hermione offered something of an explanation. "I've just had one of the most surreal conversations of my life. Considering some of the ones we've had recently, even counting those earlier today, that's really saying something."

Kissing the top of her head, Harry held her and encouraged the telling of her story. "Mum just tried to apologise to me about an argument we haven't had yet, nor will ever have. She didn't want me, or you, thinking she didn't like my choice of intended. She and dad both think we're well suited, though are still understandably weirded out by the age thing."

"Love, we've had a couple of months of dealing with this and it still occasionally catches us out. Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing in bed with me. If I've just got your parents' approval, I don't want to blow it right away."

Snuggling in further and getting comfortable, Hermione signalled she wasn't going anywhere. "Mum and dad now recognise what a horrendous day you just had, and feel as if they've just added to it with all their questions tonight. She said I could snuggle in with you, providing that was all we did. I think I may have shocked her by saying we didn't have the bodies to do anything else. I certainly never dropped the word 'yet' anywhere in that conversation."

Finally beginning to relax, Harry started to snuggle in too. His mumbled 'best Christmas present ever' saw Hermione fall asleep with a grin on her face.


	7. Nuts?

**_Chapter 7 - Nuts?_**

Ron Weasley woke on Christmas morning to silence, not something he was accustomed to. This was his first Christmas away from home, and also his first without his parents' presence. His mum and dad had taken his young sister to visit their dragon handling brother in Romania, where they would all be spending the entire holidays. With all his dorm-mates away home for the Christmas holidays too, he had the entire dorm to himself. This resulted in the unusual silence, not something Ron was familiar with - either in Hogwarts or at the Burrow.

He had hoped Harry would be staying in Hogwarts too, instead both he and Granger had left the day before the express. Ron didn't even get a chance to wish him a Merry Christmas, and hopefully start to rebuild their once strong friendship. Ever since Granger got her hooks into Harry at Halloween, he was like a different person - a person who didn't need Ron Weasley in his life.

After having basked in the notoriety of being the boy-who-lived's best friend for two months, to have that snatched away from him in an instant was hard to take. What was even harder to take was his once best friend claiming he had no memories of those two months, or that close friendship they'd shared. Now Harry and Hermione were certainly a package deal, yesterday's Prophet announcing she was his intended made the entire country aware of that.

Harry had appeared to go out of his way since Halloween to make new friends, Ron was sure that certainly helped see this unbelievable news almost casually gain acceptance amongst their peers. Then again, most students' attentions were held by the fact Snape had changed his plea to guilty, and was therefore heading for Azkaban - ending once and for all any possibility of him ever returning to Hogwarts as a professor.

Having to ask his twin brothers for advice on anything was always going to be fraught with danger, their reputations for making mischief being well earned. Ron didn't see any other options open to him though. Fred and George were certainly people both Harry and his new intended counted as friends, he would need to ask the twins how they managed it. That would be for later since there were currently gifts to open. Ignoring what he guessed by shape and feel was another Weasley jumper, Ron made straight for those packages that might contain sweets or cakes.

-oOoOo-

Draco Malfoy was another first year student who wasn't having the Christmas he'd imagined, and again Harry Potter was at the centre of his troubles. The Malfoy Christmas Ball was normally the highlight of the British magical social calendar, but not this year. For the first time ever, owls had been busy delivering scroll after scroll offering invited guests' apologies - apologies that they wouldn't be able to attend. There had usually been the odd one or two, neither family emergencies nor ill health being unavoidable - even at Christmas. This year however over half of those invited were not going to be attending.

The scroll from the Minister of Magic, citing the lame excuse of a previous engagement, really had his father swearing. All three Malfoys knew that, in previous years, it would be the other engagement that would be receiving the excuse scroll. That the minister was suggesting there actually was another engagement worthy of his attendance tonight really brought home just how far their star had waned.

The Malfoy Annual Christmas Ball was usually such a success, with everyone who was anyone attending, no one would dare run another ball on the same evening. It wouldn't be until later tonight they would discover just where all their missing guests had gone.

-oOoOo-

Severus was spending his first, and hopefully last, Christmas as a guest in Azkaban. While he wasn't being held in the high security wing, this level was easily bad enough for the potions master. He would keep his head down and strive to become a model prisoner, there was no way he wanted to spend an additional two years in this place. Severus was still trying to get over the shock of being betrayed, both back in Hogwarts and again in that courtroom.

Dumbledore had effectively ended his career then, when Severus had tried to defend himself at the school board meeting, the headmaster played the Potter card to have him arrested. The sly old bastard even took it a step further, completing his betrayal in the most public fashion possible. As far as Severus was aware, only three people knew of the prophecy made that night. Dumbledore, himself and the Dark Lord.

That Dumbledore must have told Potter the prophecy was a shock, a shock that changed everything. Sitting in that courtroom, he couldn't take the chance that the old wizard hadn't told the Potter brat exactly how the Dark Lord came to know that prophecy. Staring into Potter's eyes in that courtroom, Severus couldn't get a read on the brat - other than that he meant business.

Knowing full well the boy-who-lived claiming Severus Snape was complice in the murder of his parents would mean an up close and personal visit from a dementor, he was backed into a corner and left with no other option but to change his plea to guilty.

The fact that he was guilty, and guilty of both crimes, didn't seem to register with Severus. His anger was focused on Dumbledore's betrayals, and of course the hated Potter brat. Apart from his obvious skills, there was one other thing Severus was exceptionally good at - holding a grudge. Since he still had another three hundred and sixty three days left to spend in this shithole, Severus was sure he had plenty of time to figure out how to get even with both Dumbledore and Potter.

-oOoOo-

Albus received the usual haul of books as Christmas presents from his friends, however there were a couple of packages that surprised him. A gift from Harry, though still books, certainly accomplished that. It wasn't the fact that they were muggle books that was surprising, but rather the apparent subject matter of those books. Glancing at the three books that obviously made up the set, he was struck by an image on the cover that appeared very similar to his own. Not only that, this image - which contained a powerful sorcerer with a long white beard - was completed by a young boy in the background. His interest piqued, Albus would be sure to make time and read the first in the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, over the holidays.

The other package that surprised him was from Miss Granger, a dozen pair of warm wooly socks. That these socks were also made from wools that had been dyed every colour of the rainbow just endeared Albus all the more to them. He hoped the young couple liked their gifts from him as much as Albus appreciated theirs.

-oOoOo-

Wearing his housecoat over his pyjamas, Harry waited on Hermione collecting her own from her bedroom before they both headed down the stairs. Dan and Emma were there to greet them and all four decided breakfast would come before presents.

The happy and relaxed atmosphere around the table was what Harry's memories were telling him his Christmases usually were. After visiting Privet Drive yesterday, he now knew that was not the case. Hermione however seemed to read his mind, even without having to resort to entering it.

"All your memories will be real from here on in, and I promise you to try and make those memories as good as I can." With Harry's mood now saved from crashing, Hermione led them through to the living room - where the tree and presents were waiting.

There was much laughter, oh-ing and ah-ing over the gifts everyone received. Hermione couldn't help but smile as Harry opened a plain parcel and found a shimmering cloak inside.

"The message says this belonged to my father, but not who sent it. It's very nice, but not really my style. I can't see me wearing it…"

At that Hermione buckled with laughter, urging Harry to put it on so everyone would be in on the joke. Unlike Hermione though, none of the other three were laughing as Harry's disembodied head appeared to float in mid-air. Once he pulled the hood up and disappeared completely, Emma quickly stood and walked forward with her hands searchingly out. Watching her find and then hug an invisible Harry left the grin on Hermione's face in danger of becoming a permanent fixture.

"He's still here, just invisible…"

Pulling his hood down, a puzzled Harry asked Emma what he considered a stupid question. "Where did you think I had gone?"

"I just saw you vanish right in front of my eyes and was suddenly worried, I didn't know if you'd left us. You've just joined our family and we certainly want you to stay."

Seeing his wife and Harry moved by what happened, Dan tried to lighten the conversation. "Will that cloak work on anyone? I mean, do you have to be magical?"

"The magic's in the cloak, dad. I'm sure Harry will let you try it on."

Harry duly handed over the cloak, then Dan duly disappeared. "Hey, didn't it work?"

"Yes it worked, why wouldn't it?"

"I never got a hug…"

Quick as a flash, Emma was in there with a quip. "After you've seen one invisible man, they all look the same…"

This time everyone was in on the joke and it took a few moments for Hermione to stop laughing and notice there was one present left - a present that had her name on it. She opened the briefcase sized package to discover that's what it contained, but this was no ordinary case. There were instructions from Dumbledore on how to operate her new library trunk, earning a squeal from the young but already committed bibliophile. A quick glance at the instructions and Hermione was soon showing off the thirty or so books the professor had left in there for her. Adding and indexing her own collection of books to the system would be a bit more complicated but Hermione couldn't hide her glee at this gift.

She would probably have raved about it for the rest of the morning had not Dobby appeared with a letter for them.

"An owl just delivered this, Dobby recognised the handwriting and brought it straight here."

Harry and Hermione recognised the writing too, it was from Neville.

'Hi Harry and Hermione

Hope you're both having a wonderful Christmas and please know you gave most of the Hogwarts students their best present early - putting Snape in Azkaban. Really sorry about the short notice for this, my gran wanted to personally ask you both at the station when we got off the express, and we will understand if you have already made other plans. The Longbottoms are holding a Christmas Ball this evening, your invitation is also in this envelope. Knowing you don't have access to a floo, the invitation is also a portkey that you just have to tap with your wand and say 'Ball'. I do hope you both can make it but have a great holiday either way, you deserve it.'

After reading the letter out loud, Harry looked to Hermione but she appeared just as puzzled. "Neither of us have ever been to Neville's house, so this certainly didn't happen the last time. You and Ron both spent this Christmas holiday in Hogwarts…" She had no intention of mentioning what they were trying to research, or Harry finding the Mirror of Erised.

"I've never been to a ball before..."

"Actually, you have. End of our fourth year..."

"Did I take you?"

"No..."

"How the hell did you ever fall in love with the other Harry? He sounds like a bloody idiot to me. I want you to know I will ask you to be my date for anything that comes up in the future, but I vote we give this one a miss."

It was Emma who responded first to that. "Why would you not go?"

"Where do I start? Apart from having no suitable clothes, and not being able to dance a step, I get the feeling it's the boy-who-lived who's being invited - not me."

This confused Emma further. "I thought you were the boy-who-lived?"

"I'm just Harry, Emma, someone who likes his books and loves his intended. I get the feeling that's not who they're inviting. Neville knows me as Harry but this invitation is from his grandmother, who I've never met. Besides, Hermione and I already have a previous engagement. I was invited to spend Christmas with her parents. I can assure you, I would much rather be here with you than somewhere else - and being stared at by a bunch of strangers. We had more than enough of that at Snape's trial. What do you think, Hermione?"

"Do I want to go to a ball with you - yes. Should we race about trying to get organised for tonight, and also squeeze some dancing practice in there too - no. This is our Christmas and I agree with you, it should be spent here. If I know Dobby, he will have spent ages working on our Christmas dinner. I want the five of us to sit down as a family and enjoy it together, without the two of us fretting about having to get ready for a ball we knew nothing about until ten minutes ago. It took me bloody ages to get dressed for the last one."

"Please tell me you didn't go with Ron?"

"While I hoped you would ask me, I didn't think that was going to happen. A boy from a visiting school asked me so I went with him. You and Ron waited until the last minute then went with the Patil twins..."

"That Harry was an arse. This Harry would rather be with you than anyone else. If you're happy with spending our evening here, I'll write back and offer our apologies."

Dan then wanted to ensure they were making this choice for the right reasons, and not because they were worried he and Emma would be upset if they went.

Hermione quickly allayed her father's fears while Harry then put those fears to bed. "I have only two months worth of memories of the magical world and, apart from Hermione, I've yet to find anything that would keep me there. I would much rather spend Christmas here, and can't thank you enough for inviting me."

After Harry penned a quick letter offering their apologies, they all settled back to enjoy their first Christmas together.

-oOoOo-

After the festive feast at Hogwarts, Minerva and Albus had flooed to Longbottom Manor, mainly to show their support for the stance Augusta was taking here. Deliberately holding a ball on the same evening the Malfoys traditionally did was practically a declaration of war in social terms.

Spotting her friend, Minerva congratulated Augusta on what was a well-attended ball. "Thank you, Minerva. I was rather disappointed though that Harry Potter refused my invitation. At least I have the consolation of knowing he's not attending the Malfoys event."

"I'm just relieved they're returning to Hogwarts after the holidays. Anything else is a bonus."

Augusta's eyes had been roving over her guests as Minerva spoke, the Hogwarts' Deputy now had her undivided attention with that remark.

"And why wouldn't he be returning?"

"I asked him the same question, he turned that question back on me. To understand, you need to know that accident Harry suffered at Halloween caused him permanent memory loss. He didn't know he was a wizard, anything about Hogwarts or even how he got there. The only person he remembered was his girlfriend, now intended, Miss Granger."

"I assume you've had the boy examined?"

"Poppy checked him over medically before, with Harry's permission, Albus visited his mind. Both confirm that, while he is now fine, those memories are gone. Harry has only known about him being a wizard since being told so on Halloween evening. In the proceeding couple of months after being given that news, he's been attacked by a troll, had an illegal spell cast at him by a member of staff, continually had his mother and intended referred to as mudbloods and twice been attacked by students - the last one being organised by a head of house. Given that background, how could I honestly say staying at Hogwarts was in his best interest?"

The matriarch of the Longbottom family was an extremely shrewd witch, Augusta soon put a few things that had been puzzling her together. "The mystery of why Albus finally hung Snape out to dry is now explained. Faced with a choice of losing one of them, Albus chose to retain Harry Potter."

"You may be right, I know Albus spoke at length with both Harry and Hermione to convince them to stay. Don't let their ages fool you either, those two are very much a couple. Harry is actually spending the holidays with Miss Grangers' parents. I may be wrong but I got the sense he could hardly wait to be back in the world he was familiar with. I would say that, rather than any slight on your invitation, is probably the main reason neither of them are here tonight. Having Harry raised in the muggle world may have kept him safe, it leaves him though questioning everything we take for granted. In every way but one, he's as much a muggle born as his intended."

This left the eldest Longbottom shaking her head. "Neville seemed to be half expecting our invitation to be refused, he also didn't appear to be in any way upset about it. I'm beginning to understand his attitude at the matter a bit better now. I've long argued there should be introductory courses to our society for muggle borns, I just could never get any support from the rest of the school board. Trying to get them to allocate resources specifically for muggle borns was never a popular proposal. Would you mind if I used Harry Potter's situation to revisit this at the next school board meeting?"

"I wouldn't mind, and you'll certainly have my vote. I think that idea should be put to Harry first though, rather than just using his name without his permission."

Dumbledore and Fudge arrived in time to catch the end of their conversation, leading to a fuller explanation being offered. The minister was then left looking to the headmaster for some reassurances - Albus didn't have any to give.

"With Harry only having those few months worth of memories pertaining to magic and Hogwarts, I managed to convince both of them they should stay a little longer before making decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. Both agreed to continue at Hogwarts until the summer, though I wouldn't be surprised if they were using these holidays to research just what other options they have available to them."

Thinking of the public and political outcry Harry Potter leaving Hogwarts would cause, Cornelius only had one thing to say. "Anything me or my ministry can do to prevent Harry Potter leaving Hogwarts, you only have to ask."

While Albus stoically proclaimed he would do his best, inside he was smiling broadly. He had no idea what the two time travellers had planned next, Cornelius though had just given Albus a way to get ministerial backing for it.

-oOoOo-

Dan shot up in bed, the loud shouting and swearing that had woken him however came to an abrupt halt. This didn't stop him though, he headed straight to where he knew the disturbance had been coming from - Emma now right behind him. Opening Harry's bedroom door saw the instant return of the shouting, the silencing spell Hermione had hastily erected being negated when her parents walked into the room.

An agitated Harry was standing in a corner of the room, an expression of horror and disgust worn on his face. This was the source of all the shouting, and Harry soon gave them the reason behind it.

"I killed a man when still eleven, and you know what those stupid bastards did? They gave me fucking house points, a pat on the head and then sent me home to this version of the Dursleys for the summer. Crazy, they're all fucking nuts..."

"Harry, please..."

"Hermione, I killed someone. Who's to say I won't do it again? Perhaps you'd better stay away..."

"Harry James Potter, that's not an option. Not now, not ever. What you did was pure self defence. An evil man was trying to kill you, he was so evil even the touch of someone as good as you was too much for him to bear. That's all you did, Harry, you put your hands up to protect yourself - nothing more. Dad, mum, sorry about disturbing you. I started to tell Harry about our past, he obviously wasn't ready to hear that bit. Come here, love..."

Hermione held her arms open and Harry slowly made his way into them, only then did the situation calm enough to where Dan felt it was okay to speak.

"This is clearly going to be a lot harder on you both than you first though, Hermione. You don't have to go through this alone though..." Holding out his hands in the universal sign of stop, Dan headed off his daughter's argument. "You are going to tell me that Dumbledore will be able to read our thoughts, but he won't be able to if we're not here. Your mum and I will be elsewhere when he comes to install these shield things, then we probably will never see him again."

His intended holding him had considerably calmed Harry. "With your mum and dad there, maybe I won't be as quick to fly off the handle. Hey, I hope that phrase is not a quidditch reference?"

Harry even attempting humour told Hermione he was back in control, though still not over the shock. "I'm sure it means something like an axe or hammer flying off its handle. That temper of yours however will get you into trouble someday." Hermione was smiling as she said that, both knowing that's exactly what brought them to here.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. It was a hell of a thing to find out about yourself though. You know I wasn't angry at you?"

"Yes I know, you practically ran away from me..."

"I felt dirty, tainted, unworthy..."

As he said the last one, Hermione gently pecked him on the lips. "Quite the opposite, Harry. Dad, mum, we would love to take you up on your offer. I'm warning you now however, you won't like most of it."

That was why the five of them were sitting in the living room, spending the night hearing about the horrors of the alternative past. There were a few bright spots, freeing Dobby and Harry discovering he had a godfather being a few of them. Hermione's tale though just kept getting darker and darker, proving her right - Dan and Emma hated most of it. Hearing that Dobby had prevented Hermione from being at least sexually assaulted during her fifth year saw Emma wrap the elf in a hug and kiss the top of his head in gratitude.

Hermione ended her story with all three Grangers saying goodbye at Niece Airport, she had no intention of mentioning what she and Harry had done as nineteen and eighteen year olds.

Dan was now the one on his feet, Harry had planted his head in his hands twenty minutes ago and not moved since.

"Hermione, I want to thank you for trusting us with this. Did we know these details the last time?"

"I told you and mum everything after they took Harry away. Neither of you wanted me to return to Hogwarts but we figured that would be our safest option at that time. When things started going downhill fast, Dumbledore got you both out of Britain and intensified my lessons with him. The writing was on the wall however and it wouldn't have been safe for me to sit my N.E.W.T.s at Hogwarts. He arranged my transfer to Beauxbatons too."

"You may not want to hear this but your mum and I are going to need some very strong reasons to let you both return to Hogwarts. A move to Australia is looking better and better to me." Rather than that demand being unpopular, Dan found himself with an unexpected supporter.

"Dan, I've been saying that since Halloween. I keep waiting on the situation to improve but keep getting stuck on one recurring theme - they're all bloody nuts! Hermione, how could Dumbledore sit back and let some of those things happen to me? He could have quashed most of them simply by acting as he does now."

"When he approached me in fifth year, that was the first thing I asked him. He actually broke down in tears, mumbling about how he'd now failed you too. Dumbledore is very much a 'big picture' player. With that philosophy though, sometimes individuals can get trampled. He's smart and powerful but not infallible, he also hoards information like a miser. The Dumbledore you know understands he must have made some massive mistakes, and that fact is actually helping us this time. Whatever grand plan Dumbledore had set for you, us arriving back in time told him those plans were fatally flawed. That is why he's changed so much from the headmaster I remember - otherwise I would instantly be taking dad up on his offer and dragging you off to Australia with us."

Shocked by most of what she'd heard here, Emma was in a 'taking no prisoners' mood. "That's all well and good, Hermione, but I never heard your father's question being answered there. This evil wizard is not only alive but in Hogwarts at the moment, possessing one of your professors. Thankfully Harry has no memory of what happened the last time, I won't sit here and let him go through that horror again..."

"Not a chance, mum. So not happening. I've already told Harry we won't be anywhere near that chamber, or Quirrell when he makes his move." Hermione then told all of them how she intended to handle that situation, leading to her parents wearing their first smiles of the night and Harry looking at her in awe.

"We're only committing to Hogwarts until the summer, then we can sit and have this discussion again. You're placing a lot of trust in me and Harry and I would prefer there to be no secrets between us. Dobby will be able to pop between Hogwarts and Crawley, keeping you up to date with exactly what's going on..."

"Dobby will be popping home to serve his family dinner, Dobby can pass on any messages then..."

"No Dobby, you will sit down to dinner with Dan and I and we can all catch up with the happenings of the day." Nodding enthusiastically in Emma's direction, Dobby readily agreed to that.

"Hermione, my godfather?"

"When you were taken from us, Sirius went ballistic. I thought he was going to attack Dumbledore when the headmaster walked into Sirius' house with Ron's dad and not you. I cried all night and headed back home the following day. As I said goodbye to Sirius he told me he was leaving Britain again, and that he would stay in touch. He said the number of people who cared for the real Harry Potter were few and far between and we needed to stick together. I did keep in contact, right up until I came back for you."

She smiled at their little friend. "Dobby of course counts Sirius as family too so could always find him to deliver my letter. Your godfather is a smart man, I think he guessed what I was going to attempt. He gave Dobby unrestricted access to his home, allowing us the run of the Black Family library - some of those books were invaluable to the success of our attempt. In Sirius' last letter, he told me to take my time and get things right - and also not to worry about him. He was telling me not to rush things, Sirius had survived in Azkaban before and would again."

"But he's innocent!"

"I know, Harry. I want him out of Azkaban as much as you do, and this time I hope we can get him a trial too. We've got Dumbledore, Amelia Bones and now the Minister of Magic in our corner. There's no Snape to say we were confounded, this time we may be able to pull it off."

He slid over and wrapped his intended in a hug. "How have you coped with knowing all this since Halloween? I've just found out about it and want to run amuck with all that information."

Kissing his cheek, Hermione told all of them how she'd managed not to do that. "The old version of Dumbledore made a very convincing case for changing very little. The more you change, the less your knowledge of future events is worth..."

It was her father though who was first to express his disbelief at that view. "What's the point in having all that knowledge if you don't use it?"

"Couldn't agree more, dad. You also have to take into account we came back in time for a reason. To either stop things going bad again or, at the very least, to get us all to safety before it happens. The dilemma is how to get things done without revealing we have knowledge that's impossible for us to know."

Sharing a look, Emma's nod saw Dan give their opinion on the matter. "Your mum and I will certainly have more questions in the coming days but, at the moment, we're not going to object if you want to go back to Hogwarts. We reserve the right to reverse that decision if something changes, and that permission is only for this term. We will be having another long discussion over the summer, though hopefully not at four a.m."

Exchanging hugs, the weary family all headed back to their beds. Tomorrow would certainly be a lie-in day.

-oOoOo-

The following day started with brunch. The household rose too late for breakfast yet it was still a bit early for lunch. A ball of flame suddenly appearing beside them led to a few screams before Hermione took charge.

"Relax, it's only Fawkes - Dumbledore's phoenix. Hello Fawkes, is that a message from the headmaster?"

Harry, Emma and Dan were all in awe of the beautiful bird who'd emerged from the flames. It seemed to trill an answer to Hermione before handing over the scroll clutched in his claw. As Hermione was reading the message, Harry hesitantly found his voice. "Is this the bird that.."

Not wanting her intended to give anything away, she cut him off there. "Yes, Harry..." Hermione then had a thought and decided just to ask. "Fawkes, you know Harry has lost his memories? Is there any way your tears could heal him?"

You didn't need to speak phoenix to know the beautiful bird was answering in the negative, the mournful tones were followed by some head-shaking.

"That's okay, Fawkes, I reckoned the professor probably asked you that question too. Tell him tomorrow at that time is fine with us."

After another burst of flame they were once more alone.

"Can that bird actually communicate with Dumbledore? That's why you stopped me saying too much..."

"I'm not certain but didn't want to take a chance. Dumbledore is going to be here tomorrow at noon to install the wards."

"Your mum and I will make ourselves scarce. What about you, Harry, are you going to be able to act normal around Dumbledore?"

Answering Dan with a shrug of his shoulders, Harry then tried to explain how he felt about that. "When I came back with Hermione, she was the only person I knew. She deliberately didn't tell me anything about the people I would meet, wanting me to form my own opinions. Everyone started with a blank slate, even that arse Draco. This Dumbledore has been nothing but helpful to us, I can't really hold him responsible for what happened in another reality or timeline."

An arm slid around Harry as Hermione rested her head on his upper arm. "That version of Dumbledore also thought you had to die in order to defeat Voldemort. A lot of his energy and planning went into trying to find a way around that - and he actually thought he may have succeeded..."

"Harry will not be standing there and letting anyone kill him!"

"Mum, that was only a theory the other Dumbledore had - one that is now defunct since Harry's scar is just a scar. Dobby will help keep us out of trouble and I'll be training Harry on how to deal with any that gets past our little friend."

"Just how good are you..." Dan regretted starting to ask that question as he barely saw his daughter move before he found his body frozen stiff as a board. Dan was then floated above the table before Hermione added a bit of spin to her spell.

"I am a fully qualified witch who studied under one of the greatest wizards in the world for a year, before then graduating with top honours from Beauxbatons. I may be only twelve at the moment but I have all of my knowledge and most of my magic to call upon. Harry doesn't have his memories but his magic is even more powerful than mine. He's also a very quick learner, soaking up what I'm teaching him like a sponge."

A giggling Emma stood as her helpless husband slowly rotated toward her. She reached out her hands and pulled his face gently forward to meet her lips. "I think we have to concede our little girl can look after herself." More giggling from the Granger girls followed as Dan was lowered to the ground and had the body bind lifted.

"Those were a couple of the gentler spells, and Harry can already cast them too."

Dan found himself unable to disagree with his wife, Hermione could certainly look after herself.

-oOoOo-

It had been a stressful couple of days for Dan and Emma, a drive then stopping somewhere for lunch was exactly what they needed to help them get a handle on the changes in their lives. Those changes might be in the shape of an eleven year old boy and a house elf but their impact far outweighed their size.

The more Dan got to know Harry, the more he liked the boy. Emma appeared to have bypassed all of that, going straight to accepting him as a member of their family. Neither parent could doubt their daughter's deep feelings for the lad, feelings they were glad to see Harry reciprocated. It was also obvious to each of them the entire 'when Harry met Hermione' episode was being glossed over by the young couple. Seeing how devoted they were to each other, the parents could guess how that meeting had gone.

Dobby's impact on their lives was growing too. They'd just eaten a lunch that the little guy would have prepared better and, unlike the restaurant, his service was exceptional. It was in his role as bodyguard and now go-between that his real worth lay though. They were now aware of the dangers both kids were facing inside that Scottish castle. That Dobby was going to help keep the kids safe, and pop to Crawley every night to let them know Hermione and Harry actually were safe, was simply priceless to a couple of worried parents.

Pulling into the driveway, Dan turned to his wife. "I didn't feel anything different. Do you suppose the headmaster isn't finished installing them yet?"

"Oh I do hope so. I would hate to give anything away."

They entered the house and found no one, that was until Dobby popped beside them.

"Headmaster has erected the wards and left. Wards also hide magic being done. Harry and Hermione are in garden practicing magic."

Dobby popped away as the curious pair headed for the kitchen and beyond. Standing at the back door was enough for them to see what the kids were up to. Hermione was firing these blasts of light at Harry which were bouncing off an invisible shield he was using to protect himself. As they took a break, Emma made their presence known. "Hermione, won't the neighbours see that?"

"Hi mum, hi dad, did you have a nice lunch? Professor Dumbledore had the wards up in no time. Even although Harry and I have magical exemption licences, we can't perform magic where it could be seen. These wards hide that magic from the neighbours."

"Those spells you were using look a lot different to the ones you used on me?"

"I would never fire these at you, dad. I wouldn't be firing them at Harry if he didn't need to know how to deal with them."

It was then Emma put her foot down. "Hermione, I don't mimd you practicing magic with Harry - but not all the time. This is a holiday, I want you both to enjoy it as such."

"Harry said he doesn't know how to dance, I had planned to teach him that too. Is that fun enough?"

Dan came at it from a different angle. "At least you would be inside, you must be bloody freezing out here..." The spell left his daughter's wand and Dan felt warmth spreading throughout his body. "What was that?"

"A charm to keep you warm, I cast one on Harry and me before we came out here..."

Harry doing the same to Emma had a wide smile on her face. "Magic is so much fun, I'm glad you can at least show us what you're learning - or have been taught."

-oOoOo-

Hermione was limping slightly as she climbed into bed beside Harry.

"I'm sorry, I told you I wasn't much of a dancer. Two left feet doesn't quite cover it."

"It's fine, Harry, though I wouldn't say no to a foot massage."

This saw Harry sitting at the foot of the bed, slowly and tenderly massaging Hermione's foot. After almost twenty minutes she was practically purring as he lifted her foot up and kissed her toes. "Does it feel better now?"

"Mmmm... Not really. That's the wrong foot you were massaging. You were doing such a good job though, I just couldn't bring myself to tell you."

A smiling Harry just picked up her other foot and started again, much to Hermione's delight. They both fell asleep with contented smiles on there faces, Hermione promising more lessons if that was going to be her reward.

-oOoOo-

On the car trip back to King's Cross, Emma noticed in her rear view mirror that Harry appeared pensive. "What's the matter, Harry? You look as if you don't want to return to Hogwarts."

"In all honesty, after enjoying a brilliant two weeks of 'normality' I'm not looking forward to returning to the madness. Even today is nuts. We traveled from Hogwarts to London in minutes by floo the last time. Now, we've got to sit on a train all day to make the same journey. Some witches and wizards will even use the floo on their trip to King's Cross so they can then catch the train to Scotland - bloody nuts."

It was just something about Harry's tone that had both Granger ladies laughing at that. Dan was holding down the fort at work so it was Emma who hugged both of them at the station before sending them off to walk through a brick wall. She found herself agreeing with Harry, sometimes nuts was the only description that fitted magical Britain.


	8. Catch the Snitch

**Chapter 8 - Catch the Snitch...**

Harry was tempted to use his favourite word to describe witches and wizards again before something dawned on him, he was actually at least four years older than anyone else currently in the room. He still had to say something though.

"Oliver, do you hope to have a career in professional quidditch after you leave Hogwarts?"

"That would be a dream come true, why?"

"Oh, it just seems to me your seeker dying in his first match, your first match as captain too, might put a dent in those dreams."

Both twins were trying to hold their laughter while the team captain attempted to explain himself. "Eh, I was actually hoping you would choose the other option. You know, catch the snitch."

"Ah, so 'catch the snitch - or die trying' is supposed to be motivational. You really don't want me to die trying then?"

The serious Scot that was Oliver Wood didn't really know how to respond to that, Harry wasn't finished though. "Ollie, I'm eleven, Katie is twelve. The rest of the team are thirteen while you're only fourteen. This is not the premier league, or whatever league it is your quidditch professional teams compete in. We're a bunch of kids playing an inter-house game in our school. It's supposed to be FUN!"

Harry was now shaking his head in disbelief at his captain's attitude. "We're easily the youngest team of the four this year, which takes the pressure right off us. We don't need our captain trying to pile it back on - right before the actual match too. Let's go out there and do our best, we all want that, but we also have to enjoy playing too. Otherwise, what's the bloody point? I will do my best to catch the snitch but you can forget all about this 'die trying' shit. Hermione would kill me herself if I bought into that."

This was too much for Fred and George, they couldn't hold back their laughter at that image. This also set the girls laughing too, so it was a team of smiling Gryffindors who eventually left the changing room - all except Oliver. He'd put a lot of work into his first captain's speech, being laughed at was not the reaction he'd expected. Oliver would see how the team performed, and then get ready to rip them apart if Gryffindor lost.

Hermione was sitting right at the front of the stand, more in case she needed to use her wand than for the view of the match. She was surrounded by the rest of the first year Gryffindors, though it was Dumbledore sitting in the stand opposite who provided the support she was hoping for. A certain possessed professor really would have to be nuts to attempt anything with Dumbledore watching, a sure way to draw attention to Tom hiding behind the turban. Lee's commentary blasted out the arrival of the teams onto the pitch, Hermione though only had eyes for one player. She would be watching Harry closely for the entire match.

The teams lined up facing each other, standing there with nothing to do while Madam Hooch lectured both team captains about what type of game she expected from them today. Taking a step forward brought Harry to the player opposite, he stuck out his hand. "Hi, I'm Harry Potter. Hope you have a good game today."

His opposite number eyed the offered hand suspiciously before accepting and mumbling a response. "Cedric Diggory. Eh, you too..."

Satisfied with that, Harry smiled and moved on to the next player in the line. He repeated his gesture and received another handshake.

Katie Bell was a muggle born and quite used to seeing this type of behaviour at sporting events. This was her first quidditch match too. Following Harry's lead, she stepped forward and introduced herself to Cedric as well. The smile and warm handshake she was greeted with encouraged her to follow Harry up the line. With a few glances toward each other, the four remaining Gryffindor players decided to join in as well.

As was customary at these occasions, both team captains were ignoring the instructions coming from Madam Hooch in favour of staring daggers at each other. This little scene was blown apart by an eleven year old boy introducing himself. As a Hufflepuff, the captain was shaking that hand before he noticed what was happening with the rest of his team. The little girl then holding her hand out left him with no other option but to accept it. His mind though was wondering just what the hell the Gryffindors were up to. Harry's next move worried him even more.

"Madam Hooch, I'd like to thank you for giving up your Saturday morning to referee this match. Without your efforts, quidditch in Hogwarts simply wouldn't happen. Thank you so much for giving us all this opportunity to play."

Accepting the offered hand, the surprise was obvious from the world-weary flying instructor. "Mister Potter, I have been doing this since your grandfather was a student here - yet you are the first student ever to acknowledge my part in the process. Thank you for that, it is always nice to be appreciated."

Katie Bell soon became the second player to thank her, with the rest of the Gryffindors following suit. Not to be outdone, Cedric joined the end of the line and became the first Hufflepuff to thank their referee, the rest of the team wearing yellow and black taking up his example and doing so too.

It was a rather flushed Madam Hooch who eventually got the match underway. She was far more used to being shouted at than thanked.

Harry had only ever seen one quidditch match, the rescheduled Ravenclaw versus Slytherin. It was a dour, tactical match where each player appeared terrified of making a mistake. Fourteen kids on brooms should be all about having fun, and that was exactly what he intended to do.

Noticing that Cedric had taken up the standard seeker search pattern, high above the play and methodically covering the pitch, Harry used his own tactics. He appeared to randomly vary his hight and direction but always seemed to be going flat out while doing so.

The Hufflepuff chasers had been unsettled with what happened before the match, now they had a rogue seeker to deal with too. Potter kept appearing from any direction and interrupting their plays, sometimes zigzagging right across their path. The boy's own captain had no control over him so what chance did they have of predicting what he would do next.

This eventually proved too much for the quidditch aficionado, Ronald Weasley. He would give his left nut for the opportunity to play quidditch on his house team while still a first year. Harry Potter was bloody gifted that opportunity - with a Nimbus 2000 thrown in for free - yet was pissing it away in front of the entire school. He couldn't get a hold of Harry at the moment to give him a piece of his mind so Ron had to settle for venting his anger on the next best thing.

"Granger, your intended is a disgrace. They changed the entire quidditch schedule to suit him and now he's just arsing around out there. He's letting the entire team, and his house, down..."

Hermione didn't respond right away as Harry seemed to lose control of his broom for a second. She though had the advantage of having watched him in every match he had ever played, not forgetting his arial battle with that bloody dragon, so Hermione soon recognised what he was doing. Harry was in a tailspin dive that saw him shoot right through the outer left Hufflepuff hoop, seconds before Katie fired the quaffle past the distracted keeper and through the outer right to score her first ever goal.

As Oliver called a time-out, Hermione then turned to answer Ron's accusations. "Harry is searching for the snitch just as effectively as Diggory, he also just helped Katie score. He's disrupting Hufflepuff's chasers while searching too - so much so that Wood has only had one shot to save in the match. Before you open your mouth and let your belly rumble, just check the scoreboard..."

Ron's mouth was moving but there was no sound coming out as he searched for words to fall back on. Unable to refute any of those points, he had to settle for hurling insults. "Don't stand there and pretend you know anything about quidditch. Reading books about the subject doesn't mean you actually have any knowledge..."

"How the hell would you know? When was the last time you read a book?"

Ron was again left floundering for an answer as Hermione turned her back on him to concentrate once more on what was happening on the pitch.

Harry was facing those same accusations from his captain, and his reasoning wasn't going down any better than Hermione's had. "I told you to shadow Diggory, learn from him how it's done. If he sees the snitch, your lighter and on a faster broom - giving you a chance to steal it. That strategy will be useless though if you're messing around at the other side of the pitch..."

"That has me doing nothing but sit on their seeker's bristles and hope I can get in front when the snitch makes an appearance. What we're doing is working. We're all enjoying ourselves, our house is on their feet screaming their lungs out and Hufflepuff hadn't a clue how to handle us - at least until you called a time out."

"So you know better than me now?"

"No, I never said that. I told you I would do my best but I was gonna have some fun too. Staring at Diggory's back for the entire game is not my idea of fun. We're fifty points up and you've only had one save to make - we were murdering them so I don't see what your problem is."

"We'll have a major problem if you get injured with those stunts you're pulling."

"Hey, you're the one who wanted me to die trying to win us the game..."

Their argument ended when Madam Hooch called both teams to resume playing, with Harry going right back to what he'd been doing. He actually zipped right around the pitch, at the level of the spectator stands, with Hermione leaning over to high-five him as he flew past. This drew a cheer from those Gryffindors around Hermione, except for a now livid Ron.

The time-out had allowed Hufflepuff to reorganise slightly but they still couldn't cope with Gryffindor. The trio of red and gold chasers were on fire. With everything they tried coming off their confidence was high. Fred and George were also having an inspired game, hitting those bludgers with incredible accuracy and exactly where they would do the most damage.

With the score at one hundred and ten to twenty in Gryffindor's favour, Harry's tactics proved their worth as he spotted the snitch first. He was after it at top speed, his right hand reaching out to grab the elusive winged golden ball. It was zipping along about eight inches from his fingertips when Harry suddenly realised he had a very big problem. Cedric was bearing down on the snitch at his top speed too, but from the totally opposite direction.

Harry had to grab onto his broom with both hands and roll upside down to avoid colliding with the much bigger boy - at a combined speed that must have easily exceeded a hundred miles per hour. The buffeting alone nearly had him off his broom as he flew past barely inches under the larger player. Harry quickly regained control, spinning around to see Cedric in some distress and struggling to remain seated. Harry was at his side in a second, with all thoughts of the snitch now forgotten as he guided Cedric and his broom safely to the ground.

Cedric was on his knees on the pitch, almost as if he was trying to throw up. Noticing that he was having trouble breathing, Harry finally figured out Cedric was choking. When a few hard slaps to his back didn't solve the problem, Harry prepared to administer an abdominal thrust.

Just then the Hufflepuff captain arrived and grabbed Harry by the shoulders.

"Potter, get away from him."

Dragging Harry back provided more impetus to his clench fist held tightly under Cedric's ribcage. The air in Cedric's lungs was rapidly displaced, and there was only one place for it to go - straight up his windpipe. With a loud and rather wet plop, a saliva coated golden snitch flopped onto the grass pitch. Madam Hooch's whistle signalled the end of the game as, with a clearly audible groan, Lee Jordan informed everyone in the stadium of what had just happened.

"Diggory has the snitch, Hufflepuff win - one hundred and seventy to one hundred and ten."

Cedric was now on his feet as his teammates tried to congratulate him, he was pushing them aside though to reach Harry.

"Potter, I'm sorry. I was so focused on the snitch that I nearly got the both of us killed. I didn't even catch the thing. I was screaming in fright at how close we had come when it flew right in my mouth. I wanted Hufflepuff to win, but not like this. It feels as if I cheated..."

"You didn't cheat, Cedric, It was just one of those things that could happen to anyone. Congratulations on a good game." Cedric gratefully shook Harry's offered hand.

Turning to face his own captain, it was no surprise to Harry that Wood was livid. "If you had followed my instructions we would have won that match..."

"...and if my broom had wheels it would be a bicycle. Look Ollie, I told you I had no intention of dying trying to catch the snitch, I also told you I was going to have fun. This obviously doesn't fit into your plans for the team, and you are the captain, so I guess this is a parting of the ways."

Handing Oliver his broom, Harry once more shocked the quidditch captain. "I'm sure Professor McGonagall bought this broom for the team, rather than me personally. Pass it on to your new seeker, it really is a fantastic ride. Thanks for letting me play today, Ollie. I did my best, but sometimes you just have to admit your best wasn't good enough to win. Then it's time to congratulate the person who beat you."

Harry walked off to the stand that had held Hermione, intending to head back to the castle with her. Unfortunately Ron had been in the same stand and exited right behind Hermione. He was also every bit as angry as Wood had just been.

As Harry took Hermione's hand, Ron exploded.

"Your cowardice cost us that match. A true Gryffindor would have taken the hit and caught the snitch. Madam Pomfrey would have fixed you right up..."

"I have no intention of ending up in the infirmary to win a stupid school game. If you are so keen to do so Wood now has a vacancy for a seeker. Then again, that would involve having the ability to match what comes out your mouth. It's easy to be a great player sitting in the stands, Weasley. Get your arse on a broom and let the entire school see how good you are at quidditch - then I might listen to your advice..."

McGonagall was also in the same stand, she exited right into the argument and quickly made her presence known. "Mister Potter, that was a fantastic move you pulled to avoid that collision. Fifty points to Gryffindor for your timely intervention with Mister Diggory too. I will be having words with Wood about what happened after..."

"Professor, please don't. He's the captain and, like Ron here, he expects me to put catching the snitch before my health and wellbeing. I'm sorry but I'm not prepared to do that, it would seem I'm not cut out for this game. There are things in my life that are far more important to me than quidditch. If this means I'm not a Gryffindor then I'm sorry. I don't even remember how I ended up in Gryffindor House in the first place."

With McGonagall present, nothing else was said against Harry as he and Hermione headed back to the castle.

-oOoOo-

The atmosphere as Minerva entered the Gryffindor dressing room reminded her of a funeral, leading her to begin with a question. "Who died?"

"We lost, Professor."

"Yes, Mister Wood, I was a spectator in the stadium and do remember the score. I'll ask again, who died?"

"No one..."

"Exactly, no one died. It was a close call at the end there between Potter and Diggory though. We really could have had a fatality on our hands, but for Potter's brilliant flying. Speaking of which, I thought our team was excellent today. Gryffindor were easily the better team and I was very proud of every one of you."

"But Professor, we lost..."

"Wood, sometimes it's just not your day. I've been watching quidditch on that pitch for more years than I care to admit to, I've never seen that happen before. We are a young team, this was always going to be a rebuilding year. What I saw out there today was a team with the potential to monopolise the Quidditch Cup in the coming years. Then I discover that the best Gryffindor seeker since Charlie Weasley only lasted one game. I want to hear from my team how that happened?"

With all eyes upon him, Wood told the story. "Potter simply refused to follow my orders, and we lost. Potter confirmed he wouldn't follow my orders in future games either, so handed me his broom and resigned from the team."

Katie Bell was almost in tears as she rounded on her captain. "You told him to catch the snitch, or die trying. I wouldn't have followed that order either, I'm sitting hear wondering if I want to play again too..."

"You told an eleven year old boy that?"

"No...yes, that's not the order he disobeyed. We sorted that out before we left the dressing room. I ordered him to follow Diggory, using his faster broom and lighter frame to get to the snitch first. That's standard procedure with a novice seeker."

"Yes, but when have you ever seen a novice seeker who could fly like that?"

McGonagall had asked a rhetorical question but found it being answered. "I've never seen anyone fly like that..."

"Exactly, Miss Spinnet. Things continually change during quidditch matches, from weather conditions to personnel being injured. A team can't leave their dressing room with one plan, a plan that they then stick rigidly to for the entire match. We had Hufflepuff where they didn't know which way was up or down, why did we call a timeout?"

"Potter wasn't doing what I had ordered him to do..."

Having already suspected as much, though been too far away from their team huddle to be sure, Minerva was slowly counting to ten before she said anything else.

"As a leader, one of the hardest things to learn is when you've made a mistake. Before the match started I was worried that I had made a mistake by deciding on a fourth year captain, who was then surrounded by and an even younger team. Ten minutes into a match I thoroughly enjoyed, I was busily congratulating myself for getting it right. Now I'm not so sure I did. We've gone from a team that I thought played brilliantly today to one that is sitting here in danger of falling apart - with a match to be played against Ravenclaw in three weeks. Mister Wood, you have until Monday after classes to come to me with your plans for moving forward from here. I don't want anyone in this dressing room to leave here thinking they let Gryffindor down, I was proud of how every single one of you played today."

McGonagall left the dressing room wondering if her initial thoughts may just have been right. A funeral atmosphere was perhaps appropriate, since it would appear she just witnessed the death of, potentially, one of the best Gryffindor quidditch teams in decades.

-oOoOo-

Petunia Dursley was dressed to impress as she made her way along Piccadilly. One simply did not refuse an invitation to afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason's, even if the unappetising topic of her nephew was certain to be on the menu too. Petunia had the added assurance of knowing that this Emma Granger was just like her, perfectly normal.

Making sure she was on time, Petunia was soon being led to the table beside the elegant grand piano - only to discover the dentist was already there. She then found herself shaking hands with a woman who looked as if she belonged in these rather opulent surroundings.

After the introductions, they decided to order their tea first. Twin silver teapots of Earl Grey were quickly delivered, the milk jug, sugar bowl and tongs being of the same material and design as the gorgeous teapots. A stand each of exquisite, yet tiny, cakes and sandwiches accompanied the refreshments, and was the main reason this was Petunia's first visit to the most famous tea room in London. Had these cakes and sandwiches been served to either of the men in her life, there would have been a loud and violent riot - especially if Vernon ever laid eyes on the bill.

Lifting a tiny sandwich onto her plate, Petunia thought she might as well get the unpleasantness over with. She then might be able to enjoy this treat.

"How did you get on with my nephew staying with you over the holidays?"

"Oh we loved having Harry stay. He's such a delightful young man, our Hermione is certainly very taken with him. Then again, it's easy to see why."

"I don't know what he's told you about us..."

Emma stopped Petunia before she could say anymore. "Didn't you read Harry's letter? He was in a bad accident at school, Harry was actually injured saving Hermione's life. That injury scrambled his memories, it's really remarkable how well he's coped since. The memories he has now of his earlier childhood are all muddled. Harry thinks you and your husband have been loving parents to him since his own were murdered. He looks to your son more as a brother than a cousin. Harry was reduced to tears when he left your house on Christmas Eve."

Petunia hadn't known what to expect this afternoon, this news though totally floored her. She sat there, not knowing what to say, so Emma just continued speaking.

"As I said, having Harry stay with us was a delight, and something we certainly won't have a problem repeating. He is though quite a stubborn young man. You see, to him the Dursleys are all the family he has - all the family he's ever known. Harry wants that family back, even though it might only really exist in his head. I wanted to meet with you today, mother to mother, to see if we can take the first steps down that road."

Finally finding her voice did Petunia no good. "I don't really know what to say. How do you answer that?"

"As a mother it's simple, you do what is best for your family." Petunia nodded in agreement, at least with the sentiment. She was just waiting on being told how having Potter back at Privet Drive would be the best thing for her family. Emma didn't keep her waiting.

"Harry is not just a special person to us, that whole world holds him special too. He and Hermione met their equivalent of the Prime Minister, who granted them both licences to perform magic outside their school. It was wonderful for us to see what they were learning."

Wonderful was not the word Petunia would have chosen to describe magic. Just hearing that specific word said aloud seemed to cast a spell on the sandwich she was currently eating, turning its once delicious filling to ash.

"Their headmaster even came to our house, he erected special defences around our home. It would seem the madness that saw your sister murdered has not gone away, but you don't have to worry about that. Your home has had these defences ever since the night Harry arrived."

Petunia needed a drink of tea after hearing that, and not just to wash her sandwich down. This was beyond anything she had feared. Something about those defences brought a memory to the front of her mind though. "Doesn't Potter need to stay in our house for those defences to work?"

A smiling Emma knew she had her now. "Almost right, Harry has to stay there, and also think of it as home. They calculated living with your family for ten days during the summer would recharge those defences for the year, we'll even let you chose which ten days you want them there..."

"Them?"

"Oh, I was just coming to that. You have a guest bedroom, and Hermione was planing staying there while Harry is with you. I'm afraid that's simply non-negotiable. You see they're a couple, and were so before Harry had his accident. Harry had obviously talked about his home life prior to his head injury, though Hermione refuses to tell anyone what was said. She did say however that she knew enough to ensure we would win any custody battle that went to court, though that is certainly something that none of us want. What Harry really wants is his family back, Hermione is determined to help with that - and neither of them know I'm here."

Taking a risk, Emma took a folder out of her bag and passed it to Petunia. "Open that carefully, we don't want anyone else here to see it."

Her nosey nature meant Petunia was always going to look. What she saw there was shocking, and not just because the pictures in the Prophet moved. "His intended?"

"Yes I know, hell of a shock for Dan, that's my husband, and me too. We sat them down, talked it over and then relaxed. You must have noticed those rings they were wearing, that signifies they are each other's intended. Should they change their minds, they simply have to take those rings off. It's just a way of offering Hermione some legal protection in their other world, which Harry keeps saying is nuts. Getting to know him over the holidays certainly eased any worries Dan and I had over their relationship. Yes they're certainly still very young but neither of us would be surprised if they ended up getting married to each other in the future."

"I knew this man, Snape, when Lily and I were children. It says here he was sent to prison?"

"Yes, he hated Harry, and took that hatred too far. He broke the law and was tried just before Christmas."

"Good, I never liked him. I will need to talk with my husband over the both of them staying, I've got your address so can drop you a letter..."

Taking back the folder that contained a magical newspaper, Emma then pulled out a business card and wrote their home phone number on the back. "This way you'll be able to contact us anytime. Who knows, one day we might even be related..."

If they were one day related, then afternoons like this may become the norm. That thought alone allowed Petunia to relax and enjoy her second cup of tea, and some quite delicious cakes.

-oOoOo-

The atmosphere at the Gryffindor table was poisonous. Ron had called Harry a coward, in front of many witnesses, and that accusation hadn't been denied. If anything, their former seeker had actually confirmed it. Ron was claiming the fact that Harry point-blank refused to take that hit to catch the snitch, and had since retired from the team, was evidence that proved his point. Harry Potter was a coward, and therefor shouldn't be a Gryffindor.

For the first time since he stopped being Potter's best friend, Ron was being listened to. This was heady stuff for the youngest male Weasley and spurred him on. Potter would regret ending their friendship as if it was nothing.

Harry and Hermione were soon disgusted by the reception they were receiving from their own house in the great hall, so going back to the Gryffindor common room was simply not an option they considered. A walk around the castle's many corridors was how they chose to spent the remainder of their day.

"Do they honestly expect me to risk my life trying to catch a little flying golden ball in a school game?"

"The other Harry would have. You were in the infirmary so often, Madam Pomfrey was threatening to name one of the beds as yours."

Taking a minute or so to think as they walked, Harry wondered if he'd come up with the answer to that mystery. "The other me was raised by this version of the Dursleys. He would have arrived at Hogwarts friendless, unloved and alone. I can see a child like that trying anything to be accepted, willing to go the extra mile to fit in. Going for that snitch today might have made me a hero - but for how long? Assuming Madam Pomfery was able to get me fit enough to play in time for our next match, would I have to do it all over again to remain popular? Fuck that!"

"You just pretty much described your other time in Hogwarts. It was constant pendulum where you were either the hero or the villain. We also spent a lot of time visiting each other in the infirmary. Personally, I'd much rather spend that time doing this…"

Pulling Harry into an empty classroom, she soon had her betrothed in her arms.

"Hermione, don't we need music to dance?"

"The way you dance, Harry, it doesn't really matter."

Being in Hermione's arms and having to concentrate on the dance moves really calmed Harry. He was beginning to enjoy this. So much so, he actually started to hear the music.

"Professor Dumbledore, we didn't see you there."

"Sorry to startle you, Miss Granger. I thought dancing required music, so I provided you with some."

The rather ornate music box did indeed provide a very pleasant tune to dance to. "Thank you, Professor. I'm teaching Harry to dance and he's picking it up quite well…"

"That's not what you told me."

This led to Albus chuckling, and getting to the real reason why he was here. "I couldn't help thinking I failed you somehow today…"

Hermione wasn't having any of that. "Oh no, Sir. Just you being there helped enormously. You won't have to worry about the other games though, since Harry no longer plays for Gryffindor."

"I heard that from Professor McGonagall, both she and I were most disappointed at your decision. The Gryffindor team really played a thrilling match today."

"Thank you for that, Sir, but I won't be changing my mind. Ollie is the captain and I wouldn't follow his orders, there really wasn't a lot of choice after we lost. I wasn't deliberately trying to undermine his authority, I just thought playing quidditch should be fun. You can't have one player in the team just doing what he wants though so I left - before getting pushed out."

"That was Professor McGonagall's reading of the situation too. She appointed Wood captain, she then has to let him do his job."

"Sir, there's no hard feelings between me and the rest of the team. I gave quidditch a try, and my best shot, but it just didn't work out. Gryffindor is disappointed they didn't win today - they'll get over it. This will also give me more time to practice my dancing, rather than spending hours flying about with Wood shouting at me."

"A very wise attitude to take, Harry. Since you will be practicing more, you may keep the music box. It's a conjured item but should last until at least the summer."

They resumed dancing as Dumbledore left, Hermione's smile though told Harry there was more going on here than he realised. "Okay, genius, I obviously missed something there. Care to take pity on we poor dummies and tell me what it was that passed over my head?"

"Oh Dumbledore was just supplying us with a way to get past Fluffy."

"I know I'm going to regret this but who or what is Fluffy?"

"The giant Cerberus that's guarding the third floor…"

"Who in their right mind… Wait, I know. Hagrid."

"Aw shit, I just thought of something. Hagrid hatches a baby dragon in his hut. It was us who convinced him he couldn't keep it, and arranged its transfer to a dragon reserve."

"A man who lives in a wooden house hatches a dragon egg, and then a bunch of eleven year olds have to help him do what - smuggle it out the castle? That makes perfect sense to me - not - though I would like to see a baby dragon."

"You'd like Norbert. It bit Ron and put him in the infirmary. The problem we've got is it was Ron who arranged for Norbet to be picked up - since it's his brother, Charlie, who works on a dragon reserve. I can't see Ron helping us this time."

"Hermione, saying Hagrid is a grown man is a massive understatement. He's also exceedingly knowledgable about all kinds of animals. If he can't see just how much of a really bad idea him hatching that egg would be, it shouldn't be down to a couple of first years' to pull his arse out of a dragon induced fire. As I see it, our only decision is whether we go to Dumbledore or McGonagall with this problem - at the appropriate time of course."

Hermione stopped dancing for a moment, stared at Harry and then kissed him. "I keep telling you we're not here to solve everyone's problems, then I go and fall into the same trap all over again. At least this time I've got you to talk me out of it, rather than your usual behaviour of leading the charge."

"Just why did Dumbledore leave us a means to get past that giant three headed dog? I refuse to call such an animal Fluffy."

"Like today, Dumbledore has no idea what he's supposed to be doing to help us. If things play out like we hope then we should be able to sit down with him come September and start working together. I don't know how he would react to some of the things we're intending to do - so it's probably better if he finds out about them when it's too late to change anything."

Ron was also trying to get some changes made, and finding himself with a receptive audience - the rest of the Gryffindor first years.

"Potter showed himself as a coward, in front of the entire school too. He also refused to investigate what's on the third floor, hardly displaying Gryffindor tendencies there either. He sits with Granger all the time in the common room, reading through a mountain of books. Then, when he comes upstairs, climbs into bed and pulls his curtains."

"Hermione does the same too.."

"Exactly Lavender, it's like they don't want to know the rest of us…"

"She's his intended, Ron. Even you must see…"

"Shut-it Neville. Nobody cares what you have to say. You're hardly a shining example of a Gryffindor either. I say we take this to Percy. He'll know what we can do about this…"

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione were leisurely making their way down to breakfast only to find their head of house intercepting them. McGonagall appeared in a rage but apparently not at them.

"Mister Potter could you please accompany me to my office. Miss Granger, since this will certainly affect you too, please come along as well."

Entering McGonagall's office, they were bade to take a seat as she lifted a piece of parchment off her desk before joining them. "I was presented with this first thing this morning, it fairly ruined my Sunday. It would seem a group of Gryffindor first years approached Percy Weasley about Mister Potter here apparently not being Gryffindor enough for their liking - and wanted the sorting hat to confirm your placement in their house. Instead of just bringing this matter to me as he's supposed to, our youngest male prefect decided he knew exactly how the situation should be handled."

McGonagall's exasperation with the situation was now somewhat explained, at least the bit where she wasn't angry at them. "Rather than bringing the problem to me, Percy Weasley chose to initiate an act of censure. This is what I was presented with this morning, thus forcing me to undertake an action I certainly don't want to - offer Mister Potter here the opportunity to be resorted…"

"If they want rid of Harry, then there is no way I'm staying there with that shower of…"

Hermione's angry rant was interrupted by a knock at the door. McGonagall rose to answer it, and found a nervous Neville Longbottom standing there. He may have been nervous but Neville was also determined to get what he came here for off his chest. "Professor, I am disgusted with the way my housemates are treating Harry. If he is forced to leave Gryffindor then I certainly don't want to stay. Is there any procedure that would allow me to be resorted too, or do I just need to annoy Ron enough to get him to go to Percy about me?" Neville had been practicing exactly what he wanted to say, spouting it all out while still standing in the corridor.

Opening the door fully to invite her student in allowed Neville to see Harry and Hermione already sitting there. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Neville, and for letting me know exactly who is responsible for this."

Turning his attention to McGonagall, Harry made his thoughts on the matter crystal clear. "Professor, I have no intention of staying where I'm not wanted. Whether that means resorting into another house or us leaving for another school, we'll wait and see what our options are."

"I was required to approach you with this first, even though I was fairly certain what your answer would be. I now need to go and spoil the headmaster's Sunday too. If we can decide right now on going forward with a resorting, we could arrange to carry out the procedure at lunchtime. As your intended, circumstances being what they are, Miss Granger would easily qualify for the procedure too."

"What about me, Professor?"

"My prefect effectively taking the law into his own hands looks like losing Gryffindor two of its best students. I'd hate for that to become three, Mister Longbottom. Those actions also cost that prefect his badge. This matter should have been brought to me first. Then a meeting could be held to hear everyone's views on this matter, not just one side of the argument - that's the way the system is supposed to work. By putting their complaint in the form of this censure document, and with over half your house year-group signing it, my hands were effectively tied. I have to represent all Gryffindors, though I will be making sure my views on this matter are understood at the house meeting I'm calling for after lunch."

"Professor, you yourself told us our house was our family. That family is now trying to throw two of its members out, while I was told my objections counted for nothing. That's not a family I want to be a part of. Ron already treats me as some kind of joke. I'm not prepared to accept that for the next six years. I am prepared to contact my grandmother about me switching to another school if I have to."

"I would truly be sorry to lose you, Mister Longbottom, from Gryffindor let alone Hogwarts. All I can do is present your case to the headmaster, the final decision on the matter is of course his."

Neville nodded his acceptance and then the professor practically shooed them out of her office. All three understood her urgency however, she would now need to meet with Professor Dumbledore.

"I tried to talk sense into them, Harry, but sense and Ron don't seem to know each other very well."

This actually drew a chuckle from the couple as they made their way to a late breakfast. "Thanks for at least trying, doesn't look as if anyone else did. Would you really leave Hogwarts?"

Neville looked embarrassed but answered truthfully. "My gran confided in me that you two were thinking about it. I was hoping if you left..."

A smiling Hermione just made Neville's morning. "If we leave Hogwarts, we would be delighted if you came with us. Starting a new school is scary, having friends with you can make all the difference."

That took a weight of the young wizard's shoulders. Neville knew him even suggesting leaving Hogwarts would see his gran explode - but not if he was leaving with Harry and attending the same school. They would just have to wait and see how things played out.

-oOoOo-

The atmosphere at lunchtime was strange, and very tense. The staff table was full yet the professors all just sat there and stared at the students entering the great hall. Ron Weasley was heard bemoaning loudly about their being no food on the tables, and 'someone' should do something about it. Harry, Hermione and Neville were sitting at the very end of the Gryffindor table - the end nearest the staff.

When Albus judged over three quarters of the students were now present, and all the main players already here, he stood and solemnly made his way to the podium to address the great hall.

"The more astute amongst you will have noticed something is different today. What is different is that I now feel ashamed to have once been sorted into Gryffindor house."

This drew gasps of astonishment from three of the four houses, the Gryffindors could only look on in disbelief. "Yesterday, like most people here, I enjoyed watching a most exciting quidditch match. I watched the youngest seeker in over a hundred years pull of a quite amazing piece of flying to avoid the worst outcome possible for a quidditch player - a head on collision at speed with another player. I thought Mister Potter's actions as he then assisted his opposing seeker, and even congratulated him for winning the match, was sportsmanship worthy of my old house. I was apparently wrong. Some members of that house thought this was an act of cowardice, and initiated an act of house censure against Mister Potter..."

Albus was quite pleased to see Harry's former teammates all shoot to their feet, shouting words in defence of their seeker. He held his hand up to placate them. "I spoke to Mister Potter after the match and am well aware of what happened. He confirmed what I assume you all want to tell me. There was no animosity between any of you regarding his departure from the team."

With everyone staring daggers at him, Oliver was compelled to get his point across for the whole school to hear. "Headmaster, this is the first we've heard of an act of censure. It certainly didn't come from any of his teammates, none of us thought that of Harry. Some of his flying yesterday scared the life out of me, and probably the Hufflepuff team too."

Nodding at that, Albus continued. "Harry made his position on this matter clear to his teammates and captain. He then publicly repeated that opinion to Professor McGonagall and later me. In repeatedly and publicly standing up for his convictions, Mister Potter showed nothing but courage - not cowardice. His accusers though never even gave him the chance to answer for himself, but moved straight to an act of censure. This left Professor McGonagall no other option but to offer Mister Potter an opportunity to be resorted - an offer he has accepted. Mister Potter, please step forward."

As Harry stood and left the Gryffindor table for the last time, there were loud groans and cries of 'no' ringing in his ears. Dumbledore wasn't finished though. "For obvious reasons, those involved in this despicable plot against someone in their own house never approached Miss Granger for her opinions on this matter. For those same obvious reasons, Miss Granger didn't want to remain in a house that would treat her intended in this manner. She asked to be resorted too, and I couldn't in all honesty refuse her perfectly understandable request. Miss Granger, please step forward."

A now shocked great hall watched as Hermione joined her intended. Albus had a few more shocks for them yet. "In the so-called 'house of the brave', only one person had the courage to speak out against this travesty. That lone voice was ridiculed and then ignored, leading the last true Gryffindor now left in first year to request a resorting too. It is a request I have reluctantly decided to grant. Mister Longbottom, please step forward."

Hermione stepping forward after Harry was easily explained, once you took a minute to think about it. Neville doing so too was another shock. "My initial reaction was to leave these three true Gryffindors where they so obviously belong and resort the students who forced this procedure through. This however would not have been fair to the other three houses, encumbering them with these students. As far as I'm concerned, Gryffindor now has no first year students."

As the seriousness of their actions began to sink in, Parvati and Lavender were both in tears. Dumbledore then added to their woes. "Since Gryffindors chose this vile route to remove fellow students from their house, the house points these students have gained within Hogwarts should also be rejected..."

All eyes were then focused on the Gryffindor points monitor which seemed to be losing rubies at an alarming rate. It eventually stopped at just above half of its original volume, effectively ending any chance Gryffindor had of winning the House Cup.

"As you can now see, these are three students who should be welcomed into whichever house the sorting hat places them. Professor McGonagall, I'm afraid this sad duty falls to you."

As she walked forward with the stool and hat, Minerva made her feelings on this matter known. "This is not something I wanted, and it's already blindingly obvious this is a move that will be detrimental to Gryffindor house. I will be explaining my views in greater detail at the emergency Gryffindor house meeting being held directly after lunch. Mister Potter, could you step forward and be resorted please."

Neville may have been shaking like a leaf but Harry was calmly cracking jokes as he sat on the stool. "Hermione told me all you had to do to be sorted was wear an old hat, I thought she was playing a prank on me. Since I've already wrestled a troll though, I wasn't too bothered."

Having heard all about their original sorting from Hermione, Harry saw that barb hit his accuser of cowardice hard - just before the hat was lowered onto his head. He then heard a strange voice speaking to him about 'this will never do' before Harry's painful screams pierced every corner of the great hall.

**_A/N. I know - we all hate cliffhangers. This one though is different. The reason for that difference is, with this cliffhanger, even the author doesn't know what's going to happen next. My original idea for this story had the sorting hat eventually restoring Harry's memories but I have grown to like this version of Harry Potter. I must have changed my mind at least a dozen times on this issue while leading up to this scene, making good arguments with myself for both outcomes. Your opinions on this matter would be appreciated - and might help me finally decide on how to proceed. As usual, I haven't one word of the next chapter written yet._**

**_With school spring break over on Monday, I will once again be very busy - and resuming a fortnightly posting schedule._**


	9. I'm the Sorting Hat

A/N Thanks for the phenomenal response to my question at the end of the last chapter. Those answers I received certainly helped shape what you're about to read. Hope you like it…

**Chapter 9 - I'm the Sorting Hat**

The sorting hat was without doubt one of the most revered magical relics of the Hogwarts' founders. Hermione didn't pay that reverence any mind whatsoever. The hat had hurt her Harry, and only the fact it was on his head at the time stopped Hermione drawing her wand. Instead she swiftly ripped that tattered old hat off her intended and uncaringly cast it aside. To Hermione, Harry's welfare was far more important than any magical headwear.

Harry was swaying on the stool so, in a scene scarily reminiscent of Halloween, she sat on the floor and guided her intended down beside her. Helping Harry's head gently find her lap, Hermione was soon running her fingers through his hair. She was trying to offer him some sort of comfort as Harry's entire body was currently shaking.

"Hermione... I think I preferred wrestling that troll. This was much worse..."

Hermione then found herself being shouted at by an aggrieved sorting hat. "Why did you stop me? Have you any idea what you could have done?"

"You were hurting Harry..." Hermione didn't say any more, she didn't think she needed to say anymore. That was all the justification she would ever need to take action.

The hat was not impressed with her reasoning. "Mister Potter has locked memories. I can't sort him with partial information, I was unlocking those memories..."

"You were hurting him, doesn't that count for anything?"

"I'm the sorting hat, I sort - and sing. It's what I was made to do - and you stopped me..."

"Listen to me, you moth-eaten piece of tattered old cloth. It was only the fact that you were on my Harry's head that stopped me incinerating you. It may have escaped your notice but you're not on my Harry's head anymore."

Realising that this was no idle threat from the enraged girl, McGonagall raced over and lifted the hat from where Hermione had uncaringly tossed it. A still angry Hermione just had to have the last word. "Your singing's shit too..."

Hearing Hermione swear told Harry exactly how angry she was, he comfortingly squeezed her hand. Even though his voice was shaky, the entire great hall heard him clearly. "Hermione, I saw my mum..."

That wasn't just a conversation stopper, the occupants of the hall held their collective breath while anxiously awaiting to hear more. "It was just me and my mum. I was in my cot - then this really ugly bugger broke into my bedroom. Blood-red crazy eyes and no nose... How do you lose your nose? That's just bloody carelessness - that's what that is."

Harry may have been rambling somewhat but Hermione could feel the tremors running through his body as he spoke about this. "He told my mum to step aside - what an arsehole! I was only fifteen months old, did he really think she was gonna stand there and let him murder me. The sick bastard knew she would never do that, he just wanted to hear her plead for her life before he ended it. She didn't though, she pleaded for mine. She begged him to kill her instead of me. She was willing to die for me, Hermione, and she did."

The two first year students currently on the floor both had tears running down their cheeks now. They were by no means the only ones. "He was actually smiling as he turned his attention and wand onto me. I saw him smile as he cast the killing curse at a toddler. He wasn't smiling when his spell was returned with interest. He screamed the place down as his body disintegrated into nothing... I hope it hurt, Hermione, I hope it fucking hurt..."

Leaning down, Hermione gently kissed her intended. "I'm sure it did, Harry. You okay now? Seeing that would be enough to make anyone scream..."

"That wasn't why I screamed. It felt as if that hat was attacking my mind with a blunt axe. It was bloody torture, Hermione. Thanks for pulling it off me, you've always got my back."

Albus had to wipe away a few tears from his own eyes before offering his hand to help Harry up. "I'm sorry, Mister Potter. I should have anticipated this. The sorting hat scans your mind to determine which house you're most suitable for. Your damaged memories would confuse it, leading to what just happened. It would try to unlock those memories so it could properly sort you..."

The hat seemed to take this as justification of what it had just attempted. "Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore. Now I need to be placed back on Mister Potter's head to continue with his resorting..."

Harry now didn't want this hat anywhere near him, nor Hermione either. Dumbledore knowing they were a pair of time travellers was quite enough magical people being aware of their secret. The hat seemed to zero in on his earliest memories first. As the ministry had changed those since he was dropped at Privet Drive, it hopefully hadn't noticed he would be nineteen on his next birthday, not twelve. Harry may have been staggering slightly as he regained his feet but his voice was rock solid on this matter.

"Never going to happen. That hat comes anywhere near me or mine and I'm setting fire to it. You can sprinkle its ashes onto the new first years' heads in September, see if it says anything about them then. At least they wouldn't have to listen to it's singing."

The ancient hat took the verbal attack on its annual sonnets badly. It spent most of the year composing its welcome feast greeting. The sorting hat then treated the great hall to a rather 'off the brim' vocal treat. The hat thought it was in charge here, and let these young whippersnappers know it - by singing its decision to them.

**_"If I don't resort you then in Gryffindor you stay._**

**_Those are the only options to come your way..."_**

There was simply no chance Harry was buying into that, and didn't care who knew his opinion. "That was certainly true when you were created. It might still have been true up until around a hundred years ago. Today, in nineteen ninety two, you're talking utter nonsense."

The hat was poo pooing that opinion until Harry started providing some facts. "The United States has a population of over three hundred million people, and also four premier schools of magic who accept students from all around the globe. There are magical schools in most corners of the world now. They don't have to be a thousand years old to be a good school. We'd much rather they placed their emphasis on preparing their students to face the approaching new millennium, instead of living on their past glories and stagnating to the point of being totally out of touch with reality. Hermione, I think your dad will be digging out the passports when he hears about this."

Now standing holding Harry's hand, Hermione noticed the third member of their trio was left stranded and bewildered at what was happening around him. She reached out and placed her other hand comfortingly on his arm.

"Neville, a passport is a muggle identification document. You need one when leaving Britain for another country. You know we only returned to Hogwarts after Christmas because the headmaster asked us to give this school one more try. We spent the holidays looking at alternatives however. Some of them look really good, and you're more than welcome to come with us."

This was what Dumbledore really feared. It was also a great shock to the rest of the hall. Harry Potter leaving Hogwarts - and Britain?

Having watched one shocking revelation being followed by another had an angry young man on his feet. "Headmaster, even without them being resorted, what we've witnessed here tells me all I need to know. I was only really introduced to Harry yesterday but could see all three of them being very happy in our house. I would like to invite them to join Hufflepuff."

Cedric's actions were soon shown to have the backing of his housemates as they enthusiastically applauded his suggestion. Knowing Hermione and Harry were academically the top two students in first year, and also seeing how many points they had amassed, produced an invitation from Ravenclaw too. While Neville's marks were only average, he could easily be worked with to get them up where a Ravenclaw's should be.

These invitations saw a backlash from the older Gryffindors. Oliver Wood was back on his feet. He had plans for Harry, those plans certainly didn't involve him becoming a Claw or Puff. "Headmaster, if there is no resorting then all three remain Gryffindors. I can certainly understand why they wouldn't want to return to their old dorms but couldn't alternative accommodation be found within Gryffindor Tower?"

Oliver quickly had the backing of his quidditch team. Katie offered Hermione a bunk in the second year dorm while the twins said they had plenty of room for Harry and Neville. McGonagall's thoughts however had turned in a slightly different direction.

"There is another option. We could give them their own accommodation within Gryffindor. They would still be part of the house, though hopefully separate enough to suit everyone's needs. What do you think, Headmaster?"

The twinkle was back in Dumbledore's eyes at that suggestion. His years of experience were also telling him they weren't out of the woods yet, they still had a bit to do. "I think that's a splendid idea, though only one of three choices within Hogwarts now available to them." Albus didn't mention the fourth choice the trio had, to leave Hogwarts altogether. The entire school was now well aware this was a very real option for these three.

The trio currently had their heads together and were discussing the situation before Harry gave their collective answer. "Sir, we would like to see this accommodation, and attend the Gryffindor house meeting before reaching any decision. We would also like to thank Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for their most generous offers. Those are options that we certainly aren't dismissing. All three of us would just like more information before making a final decision."

Like Dumbledore, Harry made no mention of the fact that one house had remained silent on this issue. The chances of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger being made welcome in Slytherin were nil, so hardly worth commenting on that there was no offer made from that quarter.

As Minerva removed an indignant sorting hat and the stool from the great hall, Albus waved his hand and lunch appeared on all he tables. Neither Harry, Hermione nor Neville felt much like eating. They were also reluctant to return to the Gryffindor table, unwilling to give any false indications that their choice may have already been made. They left the great hall to all eyes following their departure.

There wasn't much appetite for lunch in the great hall either. Two of the tables were quite hopeful they may soon have three new first years swelling their ranks, while a third were plotting on how best to use what they had heard here today to their advantage.

At the Gryffindor table, even Ron wasn't eating. This more than anything illustrated the severity of the situation they now found themselves in. The way his twin brothers were glaring at him, Ron was thinking it would be a while before he ate anything in their presence again. It wasn't just Fred and George who were glaring at him though - all the first years were receiving the evil eye from their older housemates. Just the thought of this imminent house meeting had Ron feeling squeamish, so perhaps it was better if he didn't have any lunch.

The staff table too had been affected by what had just played out before them. None more so than a certain defence professor. Quirrell had also felt as if his mind was being attacked by a blunt instrument. Unlike Harry however, there was no one willing to rip the cause of that pain from his head. His master's anger had been mighty at the Potter brat's description of that Halloween night over a decade ago, and that anger was the cause of Quirrell's severe pain. There was nothing for the professor to do about the situation, other than bite his lip bloody while attempting not to scream out loud. His whimpers and moans were more than covered by the loud sobs coming from Hagrid. The big fool blowing his nose on that table cover he called a hanky was loud enough to cover the noise of a charging centaur herd.

He hadn't been able to attack the Potter whelp during his quidditch match, not with Dumbledore in the stadium too. He could hardly then whip his wand out in the great hall and extract retribution for Potter's deeds and words - not while Dumbledore stood right next to his golden boy.

Until safely ensconced in a new body of his own, the Dark Lord was well aware he and Quirrell were no match for Dumbledore at the moment. It would then be an act of extreme foolishness to jeopardise his plans to achieve that new body simply for the purpose of revenge on an eleven year old boy. That didn't preclude a little torture of his current host though.

-oOoOo-

The three first years entered a Gryffindor common room that was packed to the rafters. McGonagall was standing in the centre of the room and acknowledged their entry with a nod before beginning the meeting.

"It is my intention here to ensure the entire house knows the facts of this matter, before dismissing everyone but our current first year and all prefects. The quidditch match seemed to be the trigger that started all this off, and our team captain has asked if he could speak about that."

A clearly nervous Oliver was standing at the back of the room as all eyes turned toward him. Thinking of where to start, Oliver began with what prompted his change of heart.

"I would first like to say upfront that, as team captain and a quidditch player, I thought Harry's move to avoid hitting Diggory was not only a fantastic bit of flying - but also exactly the right thing to do. Quidditch is a dangerous sport and the professional leagues occasionally suffer from the odd fatality. The most common cause of those fatalities by far is a head-on collision between two players travelling at speed. Performing this manoeuvre played no part in Harry's decision to leave the team."

It's hard for a person to admit their own faults. The current situation of the entire house watching made that a hundred times worse. Oliver was a Gryffindor though so forged ahead.

"Professor McGonagall visited the team after the match and something she said had me up all night thinking about it. Sometimes the hardest thing for a leader to do is admit they made a mistake, I made a few of them yesterday. My disagreement with Harry was over his refusal to follow the tactics I assigned him, namely - follow Diggory for the entire match. Harry said he was eleven, and played quidditch because it was fun. Being ordered to follow another seeker around for the entire match certainly wasn't his idea of fun. There was an amicable parting of the ways - with Harry recognising that he couldn't just ignore his captain's orders and offering his resignation from the team."

Taking some support from the knowledge that what he was going to say would certainly please the rest of his team, Oliver put forward his idea. "While Harry is undoubtably a novice at quidditch, he doesn't fly like any novice I've ever seen. I should have recognised that - instead of trying to enforce specific tactics that eventually cost us our seeker. I was hoping to sit down with Harry this evening and see if we could find a method of developing some tactics that suited both him and the rest of the team. We would then have three weeks to practice those tactics before playing Ravenclaw. As you can see, having Harry issued with a house censure order was never going to come from me or any of his teammates."

This then had all eyes turning to Harry but McGonagall quickly regained their attention. "Thank you, Mister Wood. Not only for listening to me, but for taking those words to heart. You just proved my decision to appoint you captain was the right one. Since Mister Potter has some other decisions to make first, I will postpone our arranged meeting for forty eight hours. None of us expected the situation we now find ourselves in."

Minerva then addressed the rest of her house. "As to how we got into this situation, you have already heard most of it. Five of our first years had some issues with Mister Potter. As required, they took those issues to their assigned prefect. From there, things went downhill fast. Would you care to explain your actions, Mister Weasley?"

There may have been four 'Mister Weasley's' currently in the common room, McGonagall's gaze however was only locked onto one.

Taking some encouragement from how well Oliver's talk had been received by his housemates, Percy then attempted to justify his own actions.

"Over half of the current first year came to me with what I considered to be legitimate concerns regarding Mister Potter's suitability to be a member of Gryffindor house. Since he couldn't remember anything about his original sorting, and no one here can seriously doubt he's changed considerably since his accident, I felt it was only prudent that the sorting hat reconfirm Mister Potter is indeed a Gryffindor. I was trying to show the initiative I know you like from your prefects, Professor."

"Initiative would have been investigating the reasons behind these concerns. Initiative should have seen you seeking out the names not on that list - and asking why their names weren't included. That same initiative should have then led you to my office to report your findings. You didn't do any of that, and that's why we are here having this discussion. Being a prefect doesn't give you the right to decide someone should be censured to this level, handing the parchment to me as a fait accompli. There was no investigation…"

"I spoke to over half the year group…"

"You only spoke to the people who were making these accusations. That's not an investigation. You are being given a chance to defend your actions, in front of your housemates. This is something your chosen method denied Mister Potter. When each of you first stepped into Hogwarts, I told you your house would be your family. One of our family was seriously injured, courageously saving another member of that very same family. For other members of this family to then turn on Mister Potter, using an obscure procedure to cowardly and publicly stab him in the back…"

"The procedure may be obscure but it is still in the rule books."

McGonagall's glare at Percy's interruption finally got through to the wizard just how much trouble he was in. "This is why I'm taking your prefect badge away, Mister Weasley. Not because of what you did, more that you still can't see it was wrong to do so. Some of the rules around Hogwarts were put in place a millennium ago. It's still technically acceptable to restrain students using chains and administer punishment by a cane or cat-o-nine tails. Anyone attempting to use the rule book to implement such a thing will have what I leave of them passed on to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in a jar. Is everyone here clear on that?"

She waited on everyone there saying 'yes, Professor' before McGonagall moved on. "This is how a house conducts their business. Discussing problems like a family - not displaying them in the great hall for everyone else to see. That will never happen again. I am your Head of House for a reason, no one will take matters into their own hands after today. Now I would like the prefects and first years to remain…"

She didn't need to say anything more. Those not required to stay got out of there as quickly as possible. Now it was time to get to the bottom of this matter. "I want to hear what these specific complaints were against Mister Potter."

Her remarks were addressed to the first years but Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati all turned their heads in Ron's direction. Thankful that it was just first years and prefects now present, the youngest Weasley offered up what he hoped was an acceptable explanation.

"Harry was my best friend, then everything changed on Halloween. If anything, those changes became more noticeable after he returned from spending Christmas with Granger. Different haircut, glasses gone, new clothes - even his scar is fainter now. The Harry I knew would have caught the snitch yesterday, even if it meant the team celebration taking place in the infirmary. Harry himself said he couldn't remember his sorting, and that he was a different person now. I thought the hat confirming he was a Gryffindor would get me my best friend back."

"You thought an act of house censure would get your best friend back?" The disbelief in McGonagall's question was matched by looks from most of those who remained. Ron then really put his foot in it.

"I knew going to you with this would come to nothing. Harry is studying harder and every day becoming more like your favourite, Granger. Percy said a act of house censure would force you to confront Harry, you wouldn't have any other choice."

They had apparently only thought McGonagall was angry before. Now they got to see the real deal - and it was frightening. "This was done to deliberately bypass the systems in place to protect students?"

"It was only a resorting…" Ron's voice had faded into silence at the glare coming from his Head of House. He very wisely decided to say no more.

"We had this exact same discussion back before Christmas, Mister Weasley. You are still pursuing the same utterly selfish aim. You want your former friend back, irrespective of whether he does or doesn't remember you - or that he now has an intended by his side. That you roped in reinforcements to help you achieve your goal, and then deliberately set out to isolate and deceive your head of house from the process, will result in me taking both you and Percy home for a discussion with your parents." This left a pair of redheads white faced at that prospect.

McGonagall wasn't finished yet though. "This act of house censure was so undeserved and underhanded, Gryffindor had to suffer the indignity of another two houses inviting those members being forced out of our house to join theirs instead. Like the Headmaster, I too was ashamed of my house. The Headmaster said he considers there to be no first year Gryffindors and I agree. Everything that identifies you five as Gryffindors will turn grey, and remain so until we think you have once more earned the right to wear the red and gold. You may still find yourselves standing behind the new first years come September, awaiting to be resorted. You very publicly brought our house into disrepute, your punishment will therefore be public too. Removing house points won't really make a difference now. Your behaviour has already taken us out of contention for this year's House Cup."

All five were now sitting with their heads down as the suffered the ignominy of watching their proud colours fade to a muted grey. Minerva then turned to an until now silent Harry. "Mister Potter, have you anything you would like to say?"

"I have made my feelings on this matter clear to Weasley on a number of occasions. He obviously didn't listen then so I don't see the point in me repeating myself again. My opinion on this matter certainly hasn't changed. As to the other four, Professor, I have nothing to say. None of them had the common decency to talk with me about this matter before instigating an act of censure. Why should I speak to them now?"

Minerva had been keen to avoid a split in her house earlier in the year when Albus was teaching potions to just Harry and Hermione. Now that feared split had just become a chasm. It was a chasm between her students Minerva didn't know whether it would ever be possible to bridge. After ordering both Weasleys to go and wait outside her office, Minerva dismissed the rest before focusing her attention on the trio of first years now left.

"I've said it before, and I'll repeat myself here. I don't want to lose three of my best students to another house - or another school. I'm hoping I can provide you with the means to stay in Gryffindor without having to interact with the other five much more than if you were in another Hogwarts house. I would like to show you what we have available."

Heading for the boys' stairway, Minerva kept on going until she reached the top. Providing a password to the stone lion carved into the lintel above a heavy oak door saw that same door open and allow their entry. "Other than you three, only myself and the two senior prefects will know this password. No one else should be up here - unless you invite them."

She led them into a well furnished room. "This is the accommodation set aside should the Head Boy or Head Girl be a Gryffindor. It saddens me to say I can't see our present crop of prefects requiring these accommodations. This leaves them free for your use for at least the next two and a half years. The doors lead off to a pair of bedrooms, both containing bathroom and shower facilities. The castle will already have arranged for the boys' version to have two of everything in it. By the time Hogwarts students earn these rooms, they are considered responsible adults. Therefore there is no alarm on the bedroom doors. Miss Granger, will your parents have any problems with you living in an arrangement such as this?"

Hermione was already arranging in her mind what would be the study area, and also a place for just chilling out in front of the large fireplace. Recognising these accommodations were far superior than anything joining either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw would provide had all of them excited. McGonagall was obviously trying to bribe them into remaining Gryffindors, Hermione thought the view alone was worth staying a lion for.

"No problems at all, Professor. They loved having Harry stay for Christmas and are already planning on having him spend part of the summer with us too." Hermione deliberately didn't say 'most of the summer', she didn't want anything to screw this up. A day that had started off so horribly had suddenly taken a major leap for the better.

Harry was just as excited, though playing it much cooler. "I think we should check out the rooms too…"

Minerva however was giving it the hard sell. She wanted these three to remain Gryffindors and knew just how to seal the deal. "The last time Gryffindors held both positions was when James Potter and Lily Evans were seventh years. Mister Longbottom, your parents achieved the exact same status three years earlier…"

Both boys had the exact same response to hearing that, 'my mum and dad stayed here?', and Minerva knew she wouldn't be losing any students from her house. She spent another fifteen pleasant minutes talking with the trio, before heading back to her office to deal with a situation she would derive no pleasure from.

-oOoOo-

Spending Christmas with Charlie in Romania meant that the Weasley parents, and their daughter, hadn't seen their Hogwarts contingent since the first of September. While two of that Hogwarts contingent were currently standing in the Burrow kitchen, this occurrence was not being celebrated by anyone present. With both boys keeping their heads down to avoid McGonagall's scowl, it was easy to deduce this was not good news they were here to deliver. After getting over the shock that the two boys weren't her twins, Molly's scowl was soon going full blast to match the one worn by the Head of Gryffindor.

By the time Minerva had told the story of what Ron and Percy had been up to, Arthur was scowling at the pair too. It was the littlest Weasley though who got the ball rolling.

"You tried to get Harry Potter chucked out of Gryffindor? How could you?"

Ginny had been looking forward to meeting her hero at Hogwarts for a few years now. Like most of magical Britain, the Weasleys had been more than surprised at reading Harry Potter already had an intended. The youngest member of the family had consoled herself with the fact she was at least going to be in Gryffindor with Harry and his intended for six years - they could possibly even become friends. Hearing that two of her brothers might have totally ruined that, might even be responsible for Harry leaving Hogwarts before she got there, had the little ten year old witch in tears.

Molly was comforting her daughter as Arthur struggled with the problem his family were now faced with. "Minerva, I really don't know what to say. What is Hogwarts' position on this?"

"Percy has had his prefect badge removed. I feel having him spend days at home or evenings doing detentions at Hogwarts would be detrimental to his education. This is his O.W.L. year after all, with those exams only months away. My intention was to leave him here so you both could have a talk with your son, with Percy returning to Hogwarts tomorrow in time for his first class. I've already had a long discussion with Ronald regarding this matter, it obviously didn't make any difference to his attitude. I'm hoping a week at home might see you achieving what I couldn't. Both your sons seem to have adopted the opinion that they haven't done anything wrong. I can assure you, Arthur, that is not the case. The innocent party in all of this is Harry Potter."

Taking a moment to control her anger, Minerva tried to explain the situation further. "We were lucky those three survived that night, with Harry being the only one injured. Rather than being thankful, Ronald here simply refuses to accept that, due to those injuries, Harry has changed. All this despite having the situation clearly explained to him on more than one occasion. He was undoubtably the instigator for this entire incident. Percy thought he could use this as an opportunity to catch my eye, making an early play for the Head Boy position. I'm afraid this was a very serious error of judgement. This error cost him not only his prefect's badge, but probably any chance of ever being Head Boy too. That, I think, is punishment enough for Percy - which is why he's being allowed back into Hogwarts tomorrow."

Both Arthur and Molly were quick to assure the Hogwarts Deputy Head that they would indeed be having words with their sons. Minerva then made it crystal clear just how much trouble their youngest boy was in.

"Ronald is hanging on to his membership of Gryffindor house by a thread. It wouldn't surprise me if, come September, he's standing behind Ginny while waiting to be resorted. Due purely to his lack of application in his lessons, it wouldn't surprise me either if Ronald was sharing some of Ginny's classes too. If your son showed even half the effort and determination to his lessons that he continually expends on trying to influence Mister Potter, Ronald wouldn't be in imminent danger of failing some of his first year classes."

With her piece said, Minerva flooed back to Albus' office at Hogwarts. That should be far enough away not to hear Molly when she finally exploded at her two sons.

-oOoOo-

As the trio of first years entered, those already in the great hall forgot about dinner. They were too busy collectively holding their breath to eat as the three headed straight for the Hufflepuff table. Harry was again shaking Cedric's hand. This time to thank him for his invitation to join Hufflepuff. Having noticed the first year Puffs had been quickly on their feet to support Cedric's proposal, Harry made a point of thanking them too. Just as with the quidditch match, Hermione and Neville followed Harry's lead in also thanking them. The same procedure then took place at the Ravenclaw table, introducing themselves to and then thanking the person who had stood and made the offer. Roger Davies wasn't used to being in the spotlight but truthfully told all three he just couldn't sit back and let an injustice like that happen. The first year Claws were also thanked for their support.

As they strolled to the Gryffindor table it was Neville who remarked that only the Slytherin and Gryffindor first years hadn't supported them. All three were left trying to figure how those two houses came down on the same side of something.

As the hall settled down, Dumbledore then moved to the podium. "I have no wish to overly disturb your dinner so what I have to say will be short. As you know, I have been covering the potions classes since your last teacher decided to leave us. Due to my other commitments, teaching a full schedule was never going to be more than a short term measure. I'm delighter to say that Professor Greenhorn will be starting with us tomorrow. He's more than qualified to hold that position, as he will also be remaining one of Barton's top potion masters. He will only be in the castle certain days of the week however, and only teaching fourth year and above. Professor Greenhorn will also be keeping his eye on any student he thinks might have the potential to be offered an apprenticeship with Barton's Potions. First to third years, I'm afraid you are still stuck with me."

This proved a very popular announcement, with everyone getting something from it. Barton's Potions were the premier manufacturer and supplier of potions in Britain. To be even considered for an apprenticeship with them was pretty special. Here they practically had their new potions professor as a recruiter. This was great news. Even the lower school were happy. Who was going to complain about having potions taught to them by Professor Dumbledore.

Sitting back down it was as Albus had hoped. He could feel the mood within the hall lifting all around him. After the lunchtime debacle, it needed lifting. There would have to be some adjustments made to the timetable to accommodate this but, since everyone else lived in the castle, that was not going to be a problem.

-oOoOo-

Neville was sitting with his two friends. He was trying to write a letter while unable to contain his chuckle. "My gran will never believe I'm sharing the Gryffindor head suite with you two." Thinking for a moment, Neville changed tact. "I am really pleased to be here with you both, and promise to make sure I give you enough time alone."

"Why thank you, Neville. We might take you up on that…" Hermione's pause had Harry looking at his intended over the book he was reading. He could see the mischief in her eyes as she delivered the punchline. "…but not until we hit at least fifth year."

After the laughter Hermione then got serious. "Thanks for supporting Harry, Neville. That really means a lot to us."

"Hey, Ron was wrong. I couldn't just go along with that…"

"Everyone else did, so thank you. Since the three of us are going to be living here, there's a couple of things you should know. It wasn't just Harry's recent memories that were affected that Halloween. All of his memories were scrambled. I'm just really glad he remembered me."

Harry's arm snaked around Hermione's shoulder as they sat together on the sofa, watching as Neville tried to get his head around that fact.

"All his memories?"

"Yes. As you can imagine, events from his childhood Harry thinks he remembers turning out to be wrong have been quite traumatising. That leads me to the other thing I wanted to tell are days, like today, when Harry really needs my support. I give him that support by cuddling in, talking over what has happened, and then both of us fall asleep in each other's arms. Harry will be sleeping in my bed tonight."

While Neville's chin nearly hit the floor at hearing that, Hermione was quick to reassure him there was no inappropriate behaviour taking place. "We're really just sleeping, Neville. My mum and dad know about it too - we actually slept together in my house over the holidays. I just didn't want us to be sneaking around behind your back."

"That's fine, Hermione. Thanks, you two, for trusting me with this. Ron made a big deal of Harry's bed curtains always being closed. Now I know why, but promise never to tell a soul."

"My mum and dad were very understanding about it. I can't see McGonagall being the same - she would have kittens if she found out."

Hermione and Neville were laughing at the joke before the shy Gryffindor got to experience first hand just some of the things Harry had to deal with on a daily basis. He had no idea McGonagall was an animagus, with her form being a cat. Neville then finished off his letter before heading off to the owlery to post it.

"I'm glad you told him, love. Like you, I think we're keeping enough secrets from Neville as it is."

"This way we don't have to maintain the charade of saying goodnight to each other, and then Dobby sneaking me into your bed."

"I bet dinner in Crawley was interesting tonight. You'd better send a letter home too, just so no one gets suspicious about our other communications method.."

At that, Dobby popped beside them with a note from home. Dan and Emma did indeed have a lot to say about what had happened.

-oOoOo-

Any day Hermione awoke in bed with Harry was already a good day. This one however was somewhat different. Harry was lying on his side, his head propped up by his elbow. His other hand was casually playing with her hair but it was Harry's expression that worried Hermione. He seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Something wrong, Harry?"

"Either I've just had the most vivid and lucid dream of my life, or that bloody barmy bunnet has really buggered with my brain. I think the hat might have messed with my blocked memories before you got it off me."

Hermione was now looking every bit as worried as Harry felt. So he pressed ahead, determined to discover which of these options his experience had been.

"I saw you walk down the main Hogwarts staircase in a simply stunning blue dress. I couldn't take my eyes off you, no one who was there could. You looked oh so beautiful, Hermione. Watching through that version of Harry's eyes as you then walked over and took the arm of a man who appeared to be some sort of army cadet... Well, that left me feeling numb inside… That was real? Was this that ball you mentioned?"

Wrapping Harry lovingly in her arms, Hermione tried not to let her tears fall. So much for their fresh start. Why couldn't he have remembered something else?

"Yes it really happened. The boy was from another school, that was their dress uniform. Viktor will be a famous quidditch player, one who most of the girls in Hogwarts were chasing after. I wasn't one of those chasing girls, which was the main reason he asked me. I don't follow quidditch and my best friend is one of the most famous wizards in the world. I just treated Viktor like a normal person and we enjoyed the ball…"

"…until Ron Bloody Weasley ruined it for you."

"You remember that as well?"

"I don't really think you can call it remembering, since I don't actually remember it as such. As I said, I wasn't sure whether or not it was a dream. I only know what I saw as I slept, nothing else."

While still holding him tight, a nervous Hermione asked the question she didn't really want to. "Are you okay with this?"

"I'm really pissed off that this has happened. Stupid resorting, we should just have left…"

"No, I meant seeing me with Viktor."

Harry was back up on his elbow, looking puzzled at Hermione's question. "I'll admit it was a hell of a shock but that was then, that was different… You're still my intended?"

Even being asked that question by Harry spurred Hermione on. "Of course I am. I'll be your intended until you put another ring on my finger. Then I'll be your fiancee, before becoming your wife. All I ever wanted was to be yours, Harry. Viktor asked me to the ball, you hadn't any intention of asking me, so I said yes."

"I asked someone else, didn't I? Oh shit - I bet I came to you for advice about it too. Sorry Hermione…"

Realising how well Harry was dealing with this, she told him all there was to tell - which wasn't much. "Viktor kissed the back of my hand at the end of the ball. That was all either of us wanted to happen - then Ron exploded in the common room."

Leaning down, Harry kissed her properly. "This Viktor fellow is gonna be out of luck this time around. I've already asked my beautiful intended to be my date for every event we attend. Seeing that dream - vision - memory - didn't change the way I feel about you in the slightest. I can tell you something I did learn though. The other Harry may not have recognised what he was feeling for you but I instantly did. We may have been raised differently yet the one thing both your Harrys have in common is that they love Hermione Granger."

This led to some more kissing, and certainly an easing of Hermione's worries. Harry however was still concerned.

"What if this isn't an isolated incident? I really don't want to be dreaming about a past I can't remember. At least I got to see the very beautiful Hermione Granger in my dreams last night. Since that event hasn't really happened in this time, it's quite easy to treat the whole thing as nothing more than a dream. The thought of seeing my Aunt Petunia being cruel to me, or Dudley and his friends beating me up - those I can do without. That would certainly qualify as a nightmare, and probably leave me in bits. It's one thing to be told about something disturbing, quite another to see it for yourself. I... I don't know if I could cope with that."

"I think that's the right way to treat last night, as a dream. That event hasn't happened yet - now won't ever happen - so why worry about it? If you have visions about your life before Hogwarts, I'll be lying right here beside you. Wake me and we'll try to talk it over. I'm here for you, Harry. Whatever you need, I'm right here."

"Beautiful, brilliant and so caring - a simply irresistible combination."

After snuggling some more, she felt Harry finally begin to really relax. "You got a handle on this now?"

"I think so. I'm me, and I'm comfortable with who I am. More importantly, my intended likes who I am. I'm not going to let a few dreams or visions change me into someone else. We travelled back in time, for me to be a wizard no less, and I got a handle on that - eventually. As long as I have you by my side, I can face just about anything."

Hermione's smile was all the answer Harry needed. She wasn't going anywhere without him and would be there to help with any dark times these dreams produced. He did have one last question however about what he'd seen in that dream.

"Hermione, what the hell was Ron Weasley wearing to that ball? It looked like an old pair of curtains..."


	10. Making the News

**Chapter 10 - Making the News**

The four students with greyed-out house associations were all left wishing they had been sent home for a week too. Ron was the instigator of their troubles yet he currently nestled safely in the bosom of his family. They were the ones stuck in Hogwarts and left having to deal with the stares, pointing and not so quiet whispering of their peers. They were being shunned by their own housemates. There certainly weren't any offers to join other houses forthcoming on their behalf.

These four were the centre of attention in the great hall, right up until the Daily Prophet was delivered. The headline alone was enough for everyone to grasp that yesterday's happenings inside Hogwarts had made the front page. The headline also informed those inside the castle exactly which Hogwarts house the Prophet had received their information from.

**Cowardly Lion Ready to Run**

_For months now, some of the decisions being made inside Hogwarts have been difficult for those outside the castle's ancient and hallowed walls to understand. Long-standing professors being suspended and then sacked. The head of Hogwarts' school board voted off their position - and then out of that body altogether. We also have the 'first years are not allowed their own broom' rule being cast asunder to allow a specific eleven year old onto their house quidditch team._

_These seemingly unconnected events all have something in common, or should that be someone - Harry Potter._

_**"Dumbledore and McGonagall are pandering to this first year student's every whim. It wasn't until yesterday we discovered why."** Said Lucius Malfoy, a respected citizen who formerly had his finger on the Hogwarts' pulse. It now becomes clearer why steps were taken to remove him from that sphere of influence as his views certainly clash with those of the people currently running Hogwarts._

_**"After rearranging the entire Hogwarts quidditch schedule to suit Potter, he then proved what anyone with any intelligence should have known from the start. First years are not allowed to play quidditch for a very good reason. He was a menace in the sky during the match, and it was only through good fortune someone didn't pay for his lack of ability with an extended stay in the school's infirmary."**_

_The Daily Prophet was also contacted by students from within Hogwarts. These students didn't want their names used here, Harry Potter's grip on Hogwarts being so tight they feared reprisals._

_**"His own Gryffindor year mates were sickened by the cowardice Potter displayed during the quidditch match. When their Head of House refused to take any action, they were left with no other option but to invoke a house censure against him. While this forced Dumbledore and McGonagall's hand, those courageous Gryffindors were left facing a severe disappointment. Potter simply refused to be resorted, threatening to leave Hogwarts if this matter wasn't dealt with to his satisfaction. The Headmaster and his Deputy then fell over themselves to ensure that his wishes were met."**_

_This reporter can reveal that the first year Gryffindors who brought this censure were all punished severely, the ring-leader even being sent home. And what of Harry Potter we hear you ask? Not only does he remain a Gryffindor, Harry Potter, his intended and a toadying friend of theirs have all been relocated to the luxurious accommodation within Gryffindor Tower reserved for the Head Boy or Girl. One can only think it is rather fortuitous that the current holders of those positions are not Gryffindors. Potter's influence in the castle being such that they would have been deposited in a cupboard somewhere within the castle, all so Dumbledore's golden boy can have his own way._

_Lucius Malfoy summed the situation up nicely with the following quote._

_**"If this coward wants to leave the best magical school in the world, and take his muggle born intended with him, I say good riddance. It's time this country discovered just who's in charge at Hogwarts, preferably before Potter starts influencing the Ministry of Magic too."**_

_We at the Prophet will be contacting the people involved and asking them some hard-hitting questions regarding these matters. We hope to print their answers in our pages tomorrow._

There was silence in the hall, digestion of the news being preferred to breakfast. Harry was left shaking his head, and with a particular mental image he couldn't shift.

"Hermione, all I could think of as I read this rubbish was 'put 'em up, put 'em up!' I'm gonna have that in my head all day now."

Harry's impersonation of Bert Lahr was so good, his intended just buckled with laughter. This was certainly not the reaction Neville expected, and he said so.

"You can laugh about this?"

Harry just shrugged his shoulders, Hermione was still trying to get her giggles under control. Using that famous film, Harry tried to come up with an analogy Neville would understand. "It's like a character from a movie Hermione and I love. He built this whole grand persona using smoke and mirrors but was eventually caught out. Malfoy wore his respectability like a cloak. Take that cloak away and everyone can see what he really is. This is his attempt at a fightback. I wonder how much it cost him to get this article in the Prophet? Any decent newspaper would have asked those hard-hitting questions first, instead of just publishing this Malfoy propaganda."

"So, you're okay with this crap?"

This drew a smile from Harry that never reached his eyes. "Without looking, I know that Draco is sitting with a smarmy and smug smile on his face. I also don't need to look to know both Dumbledore and McGonagall will be furious at this..."

Neville did the looking, confirming Harry was correct. McGonagall's glare in the Slytherins' direction actually caused a shiver of dread to run up his spine. His nod to Harry saw him continue with his explanation.

"Malfoy is using the Prophet to publicly poke me and Hogwarts in the eye, with a sly swipe at the ministry thrown in for good measure. I intend to let the adults deal with this. I will of course provide a quote of my own - if asked."

It was Hermione's turn to experience that shiver of dread, swiftly curing her fit of giggling. She knew from painful personal experience what one of the consequences of this was certain to be. "Harry, people believe every word printed in that rag. You'll be bombarded with hate mail - and worse."

The words had barely left Hermione's lips when the first owl bearing a smoking red envelope entered the great hall and flew straight to Harry. Hermione had her wand out, magically untying the howler from the bird's leg before the owl reached its target. As soon as it was untied, the howler became animated and began delivering its hateful message at a tremendous volume.

**"HARRY POTTER! YOUR PARENTS MUST BE TURNING IN THEIR GRAVES, KNOWING THE SON THEY DIED SAVING IS A COWARD..."**

There was never a chance Harry's temper would hold at that. Snatching the howler out of the air, he firstly strangled it into silence with his bare hands before tearing it into tiny pieces. No one had ever seen this approach used when dealing with a howler before, leaving three quarters of the hall staring at Harry in awe. Even the Slytherins stopped laughing when Harry glared in their direction. There was just something so disconcerting about being glared at by a pair of very angry eyes that were the colour of a killing curse. As more owls began arriving, bearing tidings along the same vein, Hermione was ready to deal with them. She found herself being joined in her endeavours by Professor McGonagall.

As the letters and packages began to pile up, Harry also dealing with another two howlers before they even got to voice their recorded tirade, he had a question for his head of house.

"Professor, can we contact the D.M.L.E. over this matter? Surely it must be against the law to send such things to children?"

"Suck it up, coward!" Was shouted from the Slytherin table. This saw Harry direct his anger in that direction.

Harry's intention to let the adults deal with this died the instant that howler began spouting its vicious bile. This was now very much his problem - it just got personal. "These people can anonymously send abuse to an eleven year old boy, yet I'm the coward? The people who sent these were probably hiding under their beds the night I banished the Dark Lord, yet they now call me coward with impunity. They won't even say the name Voldemort..." Harry let the screams settle before those green eyes swept over the Slytherin table, including all the snakes in his final question. "...yet I'm the coward?"

Turning his back on them, Harry then asked a question of Hermione - though loud enough so the now silent hall could still hear. "This makes no sense. Please tell me I'm missing something here..."

Again the shout came from Slytherin. "That's just the way it is..."

Whirling around, Harry once more made his opinion known. "That doesn't make it right. This will be the way it always is until someone stands up and says 'this is wrong'. I watched Lucius Malfoy cower his way out of the ministry, rather than publicly take an oath he didn't willingly become a death eater. Yet this murderer still walks free. With enough gold changing hands, he even gets citied as being 'a respectable citizen' - in the same excuse for a newspaper that calls me a coward!"

"You leave my father out of this, Potter."

"He's on the front page here calling me a coward. How the hell can I leave him out of this? Malfoy, you're an idiot!"

Draco had no comeback for that but Harry was far from finished. "Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O, what a panic's in thy breastie! Robert Burns wrote that about a mouse that got pulled out of its comfortable existence, but he could have been talking about an albino version - called Malfoy. Everyone else can see this for exactly what it is, your father's attempt to divert attention away from himself."

The sniggers started at the Gryffindor table but were spreading throughout the hall. Harry's next sentence stopped them dead. "Your father was a death eater. He kissed the hem of Voldemort's robe and called him master - until I defeated the Dark Lord. Your cowardly father couldn't denounce his former master quickly enough. Supplying gold for a new wing at St Mungo's kept him out of Azkaban - yet he still hides behind his money to publicly call me a coward. The way to fight darkness is to shine a light on it. Your father started this and truth will out. I will be pressing whatever charges I can against him..."

While the pair on letter duty were watching Harry, a howler escaped an owl's leg - and the attentions of McGonagall and Hermione. Harry didn't even appear to glance in its direction as he used his lightning fast reflexes to snatch the offending red stationery right out of the air. His hand seemed to glow with angry power as the howler turned to ash between his fingers.

Hermione's hand supportively placed on his shoulder encouraged Harry to take a deep breath and rein in his temper a few degrees. Turning to see the pile of messages McGonagall and Hermione had amassed, he actually attempted a grin.

"Hermione said people believe everything they read in this rag. It might not do any good but having the fact that all these have been passed on to the D.M.L.E. printed in tomorrow's edition should at least make people think twice before they send another one. I would be prepared to provide the Prophet with a statement, with the condition they print it as is. I will also post it in the great hall tonight so everyone will know if the Prophet alter it."

Asked Neville for a favour, one that was immediately granted, saw Harry quickly picking out Gryffindor's quidditch captain for a chat. "Ollie, do you want to have a meeting with the team in our quarters after dinner tonight? We could then have that discussion you asked for..."

Oliver quickly agreed he would make those arrangements with the rest of the team. This then saw the trio head for their first class. None of the three felt like eating any more. They passed the remaining four first year Griffindors without even glancing in their direction. It didn't need to be said that they were the ones responsible for all of this, the entire Great Hall knew that.

Draco watched the trio leave with hatred in his eyes. Instead of their planned revenge, the Malfoy name was once more dragged through the dirt. He was left with no comeback to Potter's accusations, and no other action available - other than to challenge Potter to a duel. Draco Malfoy losing to Potter in a duel was something that would hang over his head all throughout his time at Hogwarts - and beyond. When a Malfoy fought, they waited until the odds were stacked in their favour. That wasn't the case at the moment, so he would wait for his chance.

-oOoOo-

At The Burrow, today's Prophet was also the centre of attention. Reading the article, Ron took this as irrefutable proof he was right.

"I said the coward shouldn't be in Gryffindor but no one would listen. The Prophet just made sure everyone knows the truth. McGonagall will need to apologise to me and Percy now."

Percy had left earlier for Hogwarts but Arthur was just preparing to head off to work when the Prophet had been delivered. Arthur expected nothing but trouble for the Weasley family from this article, and that was before his youngest son's outburst.

"Do you really believe that, Ron? Can't you see this for what it is? Lucius Malfoy is using what you did to publicly attack Harry Potter, Dumbledore, McGonagall and fire a warning shot at the ministry too. There's more chance of McGonagall flaying you alive than her apologising for all the trouble you caused. If the ministry get dragged into this too, Fudge will feel he really has to be seen to be doing something. You and those others involved might find those punishments increasing in severity. Instead of worrying about remaining in Gryffindor, The Burrow might be your new school house. I think the chances of you being expelled over this are now about fifty-fifty."

Grabbing the paper, Ron pointed to a specific paragraph. "It says right here that we were heroes. Potter is the bad guy - but no one wants to admit that..."

Rising to leave, Arthur left his youngest son in no doubt of his opinion on the matter. "That is nothing more than propaganda, paid for by Malfoy gold. With your accusations, and then bypassing your head of house, you caused all of this. You are in the wrong, Ron. Until you recognise and accept that, you will not be returning to Hogwarts - whether you're allowed to or not."

Turning to his wife, Arthur had one last thing to say before he left. "Molly, don't overburden him with chores. I want Ron in his room and thinking about his future for most of the day. Make no mistake, that's what's at stake here. If you become known as the boy behind Harry Potter leaving Hogwarts, your future will be very bleak indeed. I just hope it doesn't bleed over to the rest of the family to a crippling degree."

The floo activating signified Arthur had left, and it was time for Molly to say her piece. She rhymed off a list of chores before adding to her husband's idea.

"While you are doing those chores, I will be emptying your room of anything that isn't school related. If you are looking for any distractions then reading something other than quidditch magazines will do you good."

The fierce glares coming from Ginny told Ron he wasn't going to find any support there either. They weren't exactly close but she wasn't even speaking to him now. This was going to be a long week. With the threat of this situation becoming permanent, Ron really did have a lot to think about.

-oOoOo-

After discovering that Amelia was heading up to Hogwarts, Cornelius tagged along too. With some of the suggestions that had been set at him today, he really needed to talk this situation over with Albus.

On entering the Hogwarts Headmaster's office, the only word both visitors could think off for Albus' expression was grim. Once the pleasantries were dispensed with, it was time to get down to business.

"Amelia, Harry asked me to pass these over to you for investigation. After scanning what's inside some of them, I actually despair for our society. How anyone could think it acceptable to send something like undiluted bubotuber pus to an eleven year old child is beyond me."

"I'll do my best, Albus, but almost all of these will be impossible to trace."

"Harry knows that. He intends to say in the Prophet that these are now in the hands of the D.M.L.E. in the hope it might scare some of these idiots into not sending any more."

This interested Cornelius. "He intends to talk to the Prophet?"

"Harry has prepared a statement, but attached a binding proviso. They can only use it if printed as is - no editing and no snippets. Full unabridged statement or nothing. I was hoping Amelia would pass it on to them, lend a degree of seriousness to the statement. If that statement was delivered by the Minister of Magic, they wouldn't dare edit it. It's still their decision whether to print it or not." This was said with a slight smile, Amelia's harrumph signalling she agreed with the reason behind that smile.

"Unless this statement calls the entire staff of that rag the biggest shower of arseholes on the planet, it will be front page news. Scrap that, they'd still run it on the front page. Snape's trial was like a media feeding frenzy around Harry. A statement from him will get printed."

"Albus, I've had people at me all morning wanting answers about this. Some were even suggesting changing the law to force students who begin their education at Hogwarts to remain there."

"That would be childish, and also very foolish, Cornelius. Should Harry want to leave under that law, he would simply get himself expelled. Harry Potter may not appear your typical Gryffindor, but that is only because he stops to think - rather than recklessly charge ahead. Once he has reached his decision though, his bravery is never in any doubt. Should he decide getting expelled was his only way to leave Hogwarts, he and his intended would soon achieve that goal. I have no wish to find a naked Draco Malfoy dangling from the ceiling of the great hall every time I sit down to a meal."

The headmaster then informed his visitors what actually happened with the house censure, and why certain students were punished. Cornelius was a career politician, he could easily see the various pitfalls Albus had found himself in.

"As soon as the censure was served, you were in a no-win situation. The boy-who-lived being presented with a house censure and getting resorted into Hufflepuff would have been every bit as big a media storm."

Nodding his agreement, Albus confirmed he thought the current solution was about the best Hogwarts could have hoped for.

"Had this been a plot to discredit Harry, Slytherin himself would have been proud of it. Instead, some jealous first years jumped right into a situation without thinking it through. The Gryffindor prefect behaved more like a Slytherin, trying to use the situation to further his own position. You can guess how well that went down with Minerva. As I said, Harry thinks things through before acting. But when he acts..." Albus then handed over Harry's statement for them to read.

The Minister's eyebrows rose higher with every line he read. Finally, he could contain himself no longer. "Albus, do you think this is wise?"

"I explained the possible consequences to Harry. As I said, anyone doubting his courage is in for a rude awakening. This is the boy who took on a troll with his bare hands to save Miss Granger. Harry Potter really couldn't be anything other than a Gryffindor."

Conceding it was a bold move, Amelia asked what Hogwarts position on this was.

"The internal Hogwarts matter has been dealt with and the ongoing situation is being monitored. That is all we are prepared to say on the matter, though there is a school board meeting on Thursday. I'm looking forward to hearing Augusta Longbottom's reaction when she discovers it's her grandson the Prophet described as a toady."

All three knew that witch's description as 'formidable' was well earned. The Prophet just might have bitten off more than they could chew this time.

"I have a feeling young Harry will be back on the Gryffindor quidditch team and their next match is against Ravenclaw in a few weeks. You would both be very welcome as Hogwarts guests at that match..."

"Would it be possible to meet Harry?"

"I can arrange for both teams to meet with the Minister of Magic after the match. Share a few butterbeers and talk about the game - I think an arrangement like that would be best for all concerned..."

Cornelius quickly nodded, accepting good advice when it was offered. This way, if Harry's statement produced negative results, the Minister of Magic was only meeting two school quidditch teams. Playing both sides, he also offered to personally deliver Harry's statement to The Prophet offices.

-oOoOo-

The Gryffindor quidditch team were very impressed with the trio's new accommodation. After a quick tour though, it was down to business. No one had any problems with Hermione and Neville sitting in on these discussions. After all, this was their rooms too.

"I have only ever seen one quidditch match, and played in one other game. Calling me a quidditch novice would be an extremely accurate statement. Here's the bit I don't get though, it's like there's two separate games being played up there. You lot are working your arses off, battling against the opposition. That's where the real action is. The seekers just sit above all that. One eye looking for the snitch while their other follows the opposition seeker all over the sky. Yet it's the seekers who stop the match - those one hundred and fifty points usually win the game too. How did this bipolar mess ever get to become the most popular magical sport in Britain?"

It was the captain who took up the responsibility of answering that. "In the professional game, about seventy five percent of the matches are decided before the seeker catches the snitch..."

"Do their seekers just sit up there, detached, or are they involved in the match more?"

"They're usually much more involved in the pro game. That's a high risk strategy though. When you don't have a replacement seeker on the bench, the risks become unacceptably high. Only a seeker can stop the match. Lose your seeker and you totally hand control over to the other side. It doesn't matter how many points your team are up, you can't win the match until the snitch is caught."

"I see. I never thought of that. Given we lost our first match, so must win our second - are you prepared to go for the high-risk strategy? I'm assuming there are plays where the seeker is used for more than just seeking?"

"There are certainly plays out there - books worth of them. We just don't have many of them here in Hogwarts."

"Tell me what to get, Ollie, I'll have them here in a few days. Even if this doesn't work out, consider them my contribution to the Gryffindor quiddich team."

"Harry, I hope you're not considering using tactics like this against Slytherin? They would love any excuse to get a hit at you. After reading what you posted in the great hall, Malfoy will be paying them to do so."

"One game at a time, Hermione. The Slytherins will be coming after me no matter what tactics we play..."

Katie had been sitting listening but just had to say something. "Harry, what happened to 'it's only a game'? You seem to be proposing taking an awful lot of risks here."

"I still have no intention of dying while trying to get the snitch. Being a bit battered and bruised has become acceptable though. Sorry guys, but this next match is now no longer just a game. I'm a quiet kinda guy. I try to get along with everyone and shirk the spotlight as much as possible. When someone deliberately pushes me however, I push right back. A lot of people will be turning up to the next match - specifically to see if I'm a coward. That's unavoidable and, according to McGonagall, our audience will also include the Minister of Magic. Just something else the captain needs to consider before choosing his team and their tactics..."

"My entire team is sitting right here." This declaration from Oliver produced smiles all round. What he said next only widened them. "Our tactics will be decided when I can read through some of these quidditch plays. I'll book the pitch for the weekend but can't make any promises. If we don't get time to work in these new plays, I would be happy to go with the same seeker tactics Harry used in the Hufflepuff match."

After some congratulatory back slapping, the meeting broke up. It was getting late and Neville headed straight off to get changed for bed. Noticing the twins were hanging back, both Harry and Hermione wondered what was wrong. Fred and George had been unusually quiet all evening. When only the four of them remained, George gave their reason.

"We're really sorry that our brothers caused you all this trouble.."

"Yeah. Percy is such a prat, he still thinks he did nothing wrong…"

"He lost his precious badge - and now you are living in the rooms he wanted. He caused all this yet he's actually livid - go figure."

"Guys, this had nothing to do with you two…"

Hermione's mind was suddenly racing at full speed, wondering if she could manipulate an event that didn't happen for another two years. "Harry's right. Don't worry about it. Harry even got to sleep in Prongs' bed, his father had carved a miniature stag's head into one of the posts…"

This really got the twin's attention, as Hermione knew it would.

"Prongs?"

"Your father?"

Harry knew Hermione was up to something, he just hadn't figured it out yet. He of course played along. "Yeah, Prongs was his nickname at Hogwarts. Apparently he was a right prankster - a bit like you two."

The twins only needed a glance between them to confirm what they wanted to do. Hermione had to work very hard containing her excitement as Fred took an old piece of parchment out of his pocket.

"Prongs was a member of a group called the Marauders…"

"They're rather heroes of ours. This was theirs…"

"So it should rightfully be yours." As Fred activated the map before handing it over, George had a plea to add on.

"Eh, could we borrow it occasionally? For our pranks…"

A very happy Harry knew from Hermione what the treasure he now held in his hands actually was. Not only was he going to let them borrow the map whenever they needed it, Harry had something else to sweeten the deal for the twins. He dived into his room, returning holding another prize.

"I received this over the holidays. It was my dad's too. If this will help your pranks, you can borrow this as well." Harry dramatically swirled the cloak around himself, the hood popping over his head so he totally disappeared.

The twins stood there with their chins hitting the floor.

"The Marauders had an invisibility cloak…"

"…and made the map - awesome!"

Of course, the twins had to try it. Their exuberance making their earlier quiet selves mere distant memories. The noise brought Neville back in, and he to wanted a shot at disappearing. Neville gave his roommates a knowing look, thinking he'd figured out how Hermione had been slipping into Harry's bed in their old dorm.

An excited Hermione could hardly wait for Harry to join her in bed.

"I should be getting used to this by now but would you mind telling me what I missed earlier tonight?"

Hermione just activated the map and showed Harry the section that contained the defence professor's quarters. Catching on at once, Harry now only had one question left.

"And just when do we discover this?"

"When the time is right, Harry. When the time is right."

-oOoOo-

The Prophet's arrival in Hogwarts was eagerly awaited next morning. Since Harry had posted his statement in the Great Hall last night, it was more to see how the newspaper handled the situation. No one seriously believed they wouldn't print a statement from the boy-who-lived.

**Lion Cub Roars Back **

_The following is a statement from Harry Potter. We at this newspaper were not allowed to edit it, and were also required to print it in full - or not at all. The Daily Prophet would like to point out that the views expressed in this statement are those of Harry Potter - and do not necessarily comply with those of this newspaper._

**_Yesterday I was very publicly called a coward. This was done by a wizard who didn't witness the incidents, and then printed in a newspaper who neither witnessed nor investigate the matter. This directly resulted in me receiving malicious and downright dangerous hate mail delivered to Hogwarts. These items are now in the hands of the D.M.L.E. and considered evidence in what has become a criminal investigation._**

**_My house censure procedure wasn't carried out properly. Unlike the opportunity I'm being offered here, I wasn't given a chance to put my side of the argument forward. When the case was eventually heard properly, in front of all members of Gryffindor House, decisions were then fairly reached and accepted by all. That matter is now closed._**

**_An accident inside Hogwarts on Halloween damaged my memory. This was responsible for the quidditch roster being charged - I was declared unfit to play Gryffindor's first game. The sorting hat attacking that damaged part of my memory caused me great pain. That's why my resorting was stopped - and also why I subsequently refused to put the hat back on._**

**_Since my arrival in Hogwarts, I have been attacked by a troll, a professor and Slytherin students - twice. My intended and my late mother have been continually referred to by a derogatory term I refuse even to write down. I have suffered an unfair house censure, been branded a coward on the front page of a national newspaper and subsequently been sent items by post that were deliberately designed to cause me harm._**

**_I would like to think that if my parents were still alive, they would be looking at alternative schooling for me too. They gave their lives to save their infant son - not this country. Only a complete fool would think my Hogwarts experience to date was in any way acceptable from an educational establishment. Leaving Hogwarts for another school remains an option I am considering. If, in the eyes of magical Britain, this action brands me as a coward - so be it._**

**_I have now clearly answered all the accusations made against me. While some people might not like to read those answers, they were given honestly._**

**_What of my accuser though, where are his answers?_**

**_Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater, an undeniable fact. The only question therefore is whether he did so willingly, or was indeed forced to do so while under the imperius curse as he claims. That those claims have never been settled in court, by truth serum or magical vow, will always leave this crucial question hanging like a bad smell over the Malfoy name._**

**_If Lucius Malfoy committed all those crimes while under the influence of the imperius curse, he of course can't legally be held responsible for his actions. As a responsible citizen though, surely he has a moral obligation to the country and the D.M.L.E.? Lucius Malfoy should come clean about every disgusting act he was forced to perform whilst held under this curse. Not only would this allow our aurors to finally close some long unsolved cases, it could and should stand as a warning to the youth of today of what can happen to even responsible citizens when darkness is allowed free rein._**

**_I have publicly answered the questions my accuser posed of me. Will Lucius Malfoy have the courage to do the same? From my understanding of the term, with my non magical upbringing perhaps altering the issue, his continuing silence on the matter clearly brands him as the coward here - not me._**

_Harry Potter's statement was actually handed into the offices of the Daily Prophet by none other than Minister Fudge. When asked for his opinion on this matter, here's what he had to say._

_**"This was an internal Hogwarts' matter that has been dealt with by the senior staff. That others chose to use this spat between children in an effort to promote their own agenda is regrettable - and should never have been allowed to happen. I was at the school on another matter and simply offered to drop this off for Harry."**_

_The Minister of Magic was then asked for his thoughts on the boy-who-lived leaving Hogwarts, and presumably the country too._

_**"Considering his heritage, the special place Harry Potter holds in all our hearts, and not forgetting he and his intended are academically the top two students of their year - I think this would be a great loss. That is simply my personal opinion, having met them both just before Christmas. While the ministry may not have an official position on this, it certainly does on the matter of witches and wizards owling items deliberately designed to cause harm to children. These items are now in the hands of the D.M.L.E. for further investigation."**_

_We here at the Prophet welcome that last piece of news, and apologise to Mister Potter that a story in our newspaper caused a few of our readers to behave in this deplorable manner. Like the Ministry of Magic, we too in no way condone these type of attacks on children._

Every single reader simply couldn't miss the Prophet had totally changed their opinion on this matter. The reason behind this change wasn't hard to figure out either. The people at the Prophet were clearly terrified they would be saddled with the blame, should Harry Potter leave Britain.

The entire Gryffindor quidditch team were sitting beside the trio at breakfast, very publicly showing their support for their seeker. Katie leaned over Hermione to speak to him.

"Harry, when you push back - you give it your all. If I was a Ravenclaw, I would be really worried about my next quidditch match…"

Hermione couldn't hold back at that. "…while the Slytherins will already be working on the best way to put you in the infirmary."

"Game at a time, Hermione. We'll deal with that when we have to."

Draco was already angry enough to wish he was on the team for a shot at Potter. He knew though that his anger would be nothing when compared to his father's. Draco couldn't even warn him of what was coming.

Potter's statement had been stuck to the wall last night. It was protected though, both from being taken down and magically being copied. Draco would need to have stood there with parchment, quill and ink - writing it out word for word. That would have been impossible to do without being noticed, so his father would have been surprised by today's Prophet. Knowing his father, this could not end well. He looked forward to Potter finally being brought to his knees. His father would settle for nothing less.

Hermione's groan of 'incoming' had most of the hall looking to the ceiling. There seemed to be a veritable flock of owls with messages for Harry Potter. Thankfully, none of them were of the howler variety today. The sheer volume of mail had both McGonagall and Dumbledore scanning them for anything harmful - and finding nothing.

As this mountain of mail grew ever higher, a speechless Harry could only look to Hermione for an explanation. "Once they knew the truth, you had the support of three Hogwarts houses on this matter. It would seem your support outside Hogwarts has just increased too."

Opening one and quickly reading the sentiments expressed there, Harry then condensed the message for those listening. "This witch says she was a Gryffindor first year while my mum and dad were Head Boy and Girl. She cried when they were murdered, though was pleased I had lived. She also says my mum and dad would be proud I'm standing up for myself…" Glancing at the now huge pile of letters, Harry could think of only one thing. "Hermione, I'm going to have to write back to most - if not all - of these people."

Delighted with the attitude of her lion cub, Minerva offered her recollection of that time. "Mister Potter, there were many students still at Hogwarts who fondly remembered your parents and honoured their memory on the night they fell. The great Hall was draped in black as the school remembered two of her own. I think answering these letters would not only be the right thing to do, it would also let all those who wrote know you took the time to read their messages. We can have all these transferred to your room. I'll even excuse you from transfiguration homework this week to give you more time to work on your new task."

A clearly touched Harry could only react one way to that. "Thanks Professor, for your kind words about my parents and the offer of help. While I'll happily accept your help having these removed to our rooms, my homework will be on your desk along with the rest of my class. I wouldn't want there to be any rumours of favouritism within Hogwarts starting. Who knows where that could lead?"

Harry wasn't sure where the laughter started but soon the entire table was chuckling away. McGonagall might have only nodded by way of an answer but Harry suspected that was to stop her breaking into a smile. Her eyes were certainly twinkling with mirth.

Oliver also thought this would be a good time to arrange his quidditch meeting with his head of house.

The way the entire team were gathered around Harry, Minerva was sure she was going to like what her captain had to say. She had no idea just how much her captain would actually have to say on the matter. The team might be the same as the one that faced Hufflepuff but the tactics were going to be radically different.

-oOoOo-

Hermione, Harry and Neville were all slowly sifting through the mountain of mail, sorting them into two piles. One was for those that could be covered by a general reply. They were working on wording a reply that could basically be copied and signed, saving Harry a load of work. The other pile was those Harry was going to have to personally write a reply to.

It was a rather nervous Neville who drew a particular letter to Harry's attention. "This one here's from a young witch called Ginny Weasley. She says she's Ron's younger sister and hopes her idiot brothers don't drive you out of Hogwarts. Eh, it says she was really looking forward to meeting you - and Hermione."

Hermione couldn't help but remember the younger girl's crush on her intended, and asking her for help on how to get to know Harry better. There was no ambiguity in what Ginny meant by 'better' either. This time it would be different though. Harry was with her, and she had the ring to prove it.

She encouraged him to write back. "A reply to this young witch will either end up framed on her bedroom wall, or tucked under her pillow for her to sleep on at night. Whatever she chooses, it will certainly annoy the hell out of Ron."

As Neville chuckled at that, Harry could only groan. "This is going to take weeks."

-oOoOo-

The Prophet was now deliberately focusing the country's ire onto those who had sent Harry Potter malicious mail, all in an attempt to take that focus off the newspaper. That Lucius Malfoy had a case to answer was also conveniently ignored. The head of the Malfoy family was doing his best to help this along by keeping an extremely low profile - while hoping it would all blow over. These actions had the knock-on effect of shifting the country's ire from a certain Ron Weasley too. With the prospect of his expulsion from Hogwarts diminishing, Ron was now ready to say anything in order to get back there.

His last few days at The Burrow had been some of the most miserable of his life. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse though, it did. Potter sending a letter to Ginny saw her hyperventilating at breakfast. Their mother needed to administer a calming draft as Ginny was in danger of passing out from sheer excitement.

It was as if they had won The Daily Prophet Grand Galleon Draw. Ginny walked about with a perpetual smile on her face. Their mother was delighted Harry didn't hold the rest of the Weasley family responsible - even citing in his letter that he was friends with the twins. Their father appeared more relieved, Potter's attack on Malfoy had shifted the focus away from them. Neither the press nor the ministry could go after the Weasleys, while ignoring the Malfoys' part in this.

Ron was ready to say his beloved Cannons were crap to get away from home, accepting the blame for something he actually did was child's play compared to that.

His arrival back in Hogwarts wasn't what he'd hoped for however. Dean and Seamus were still angry at him, while the two girls wouldn't even speak to Ron. Lavender and Parvati were far too busy trying to ingratiate themselves with Longbottom, obviously in the hope of getting back on Potter's good side. Both were at least smart enough not to approach him directly, not with Granger always at his side.

That Potter was back on the quidditch team shocked Ron too, nearly as much as the entire team heading up to the trio's private rooms most nights to discuss tactics. Percy had lost his badge, Ron had been sent home and now walked about with his house association greyed out - yet Potter got everything. How could that be fair?

-oOoOo-

It was the night before the quidditch match and things inside Hogwarts had been going deceptively well for the golden trio. All the letters had been answered, though some had even written back. The Gryffindor quidditch practices had been going wonderfully. Oliver wore a grin that was very lionish, almost like a great cat that was sneaking up on its unsuspecting prey. Those Ravenclaws wouldn't know what hit them.

Harry hadn't experienced any more dreams from his past, something both he and Hermione were very grateful for. The couple were about to be dragged into a real live nightmare though as Dobby shook them awake. It wasn't just their still sleep befuddled states that had them questioning what their little friend was saying.

"The house is being attacked…"


	11. Night Terrors

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 11 - Night Terrors**

An invisible Albus arrived at the scene, not sure what to expect. That there were no curses currently flying through the air was a bonus, as was everything being bathed in artificial light. The multiple floodlights attached to the Grangers' home were turning night into day, though that piercing noise would leave Albus needing a headache potion if he remained here for any length of time.

A quick search revealed no current threats, yet the wards did register that they had very recently been attacked by magic. The levels of noise and light were then added to by a rapidly approaching vehicle. Albus carefully watched as a couple of uniformed muggles left the vehicle and proceeded to search around the property. With his wards preventing the spells cast doing any damage to the building, there really wasn't anything for the investigating muggles to find.

After recognising that fact, one of the muggles spoke into a device that squawked back at him. It was mere moments later however that the spotlights went out, and silence once more returned to the night. The flashing lights on their vehicle were also extinguished and the pair eventually left at a pace greatly reduced from the one they'd arrived at.

Not being able to raise anyone in the house, and seeing no signs of forced entry, they obviously reached the conclusion that no one was home - and the house's defences had scared whoever was attempting entry away.

Albus thought at least part of that was true. Whoever attacked the Grangers' house would have gotten an almighty shock to discover it was warded. If that attack also triggered the muggle defences, then shock wouldn't really be a strong enough word to describe the wizards who were doing the attacking's reactions.

What really intrigued the headmaster though was the whereabouts of the Grangers. Yes they could simply be spending the night elsewhere but Albus didn't think so. He certainly believed Miss Granger was capable of providing her parents with a means of emergency escape yet Albus couldn't see how she would get her parents to accept something like that - unless Harry and Hermione had gone down the route of full disclosure?

The fact Miss Granger's parents were missing the afternoon he'd erected the wards at her home hadn't troubled Albus at the time. Now it was beginning to appear that their absence might have been deliberate. If so, it was almost certainly to stop him gleaming any information he shouldn't have from them. If she did indeed provide her parents with a means for an emergency escape, Miss Granger was sure to be monitoring that system.

He would need to head back to Hogwarts and see if he was correct. If Albus was, the young couple might already be looking for him.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione needed to get out of the castle that was locked for the night. They were under Harry's invisibility cloak as Hermione practically dragged him to the statue of the one eyed witch. Speaking the password saw both of them descend into the tunnel and hurry along it. With wands lit, they soon spotted Dobby waiting on them at what they assumed was the edge of the Hogwarts wards. They had no sooner reached him when Dobby popped the couple away.

Emma was sitting wringing her hands with worry. Dan however was far too wound-up to sit. He was stalking up and down behind Emma, the broken wooden chair leg in his hand at least making him feel slightly less defenceless. That improvised weapon was raised and ready for action at the pop he heard, only for it to be instantly lowered the second he recognised it was their daughter calling for them. Emma's answering shout had Hermione bursting into the room and both his girls were soon wrapped up in each other. Harry followed on behind, his wand still held ready. He noticed the chair leg in Dan's hand and nodded his approval before asking the obvious question.

"You both alright?"

"Yes. Our house alarm went off, waking both of us instantly. We never saw or even heard if we were under attack. Dobby was in our bedroom seconds later and brought us here. Just where is here?"

After confirming her mother was fine, Hermione was now hugging her father. Harry found himself being enveloped in Emma's arms as Hermione then answered her father's geographical enquiry.

"You're in Hogsmeade, Dad. We're on the outskirts of the village actually. This is the Shrieking Shack. It's supposedly haunted so no one ever comes here."

At that, Dobby popped back with some clothes for Dan and Emma. Pyjamas and a nightdress weren't really suitable attire for what they would need to do next. Dobby also had some news.

"The house is undamaged. There were muggles checking it and Dobby was sure he felt Dumbledore pop away."

Hermione and Harry moved outside the room to allow them their privacy to change, continuing their conversation through the door as they did.

"What happens now?"

"We need to go and see Dumbledore, Dad, and also cover how you got here. We want to keep Dobby's presence a secret so need to invent a cover story."

Harry and Hermione had simply pulled robes over their sleepwear but Dobby had even thought to add jackets to the clothes he had collected from home for her parents. As the elf popped in again with heavy cloaks from their Gryffindor rooms, Hermione now had time to hug their little friend in thanks.

A blushing Dobby brushed that thanks off. "Dobby was being a good house elf and protecting his family..."

"Dobby, you are the best elf in the world. We simply can't thank you enough."

Harry saying that made the little guy's night, he popped away very happy. When joined by a now dressed set of parents, Hermione led them into a different tunnel. With wand lit, she took her father by the hand while Harry did the same with Emma behind them. Pressing the knot on the Whomping Willow stilled its branches and allowed the four safe passage. With Hogwarts in darkness and it being a cloudy night, their view was limited to that provided by the light from the two wands.

Hermione had coached her parents not to let go of their hands, otherwise the wards would have them wanting to leave. In that manner the four headed off to get some help.

Emma held Harry's other hand tightly as he banged on the door of the strange round house. The loud barking coming from inside was soon drowned out by a voice she could only describe as booming.

"Who the bleedin' 'ell is knockin' on me door at this time o' night. Yeh better 'ave a bloody good reason"

"Hagrid, it's Harry. We need your help."

'Arry? What are yeh doin' oot o' bed, never mind oot the castle. Do yeh know what time it is?"

As the scrape of the heavy door's bolts being drawn back sent shivers up Emma's spine, Hermione spoke from behind her."

"We know what time it is, Hagrid. We've got an emergency here."

"'Ermione? Yeh're oot o' bed too? I should've known. Yeh never get one o' yeh without the other. Oh, who's this?"

The door opened to reveal a hairy giant of a man who had to stoop not to hit his head off his own doorway lintel. Emma could see every detail of his features due to the massive lantern he held in his hand. Those black eyes focused on her standing beside Harry and only the fact the man was smiling stopped Emma panicking. She did squeeze Harry's hand a touch harder though.

"These are Hermione's parents. Their house was attacked by death eaters tonight. Only Dumbledore's protections on the house got them out of there safely." Using Dumbledore's name with Hagrid invoked its own kind of magic. Their large friend immediately assumed everything was fine. It simply couldn't be otherwise with Albus Dumbledore involved.

"Attacked by death eaters yeh say. Well, we'd better get yeh right up to see Dumbledore then. Great man, Dumbledore. 'E'll soon sort everythin' oot."

Grabbing a hairy cloak and pulling his boots on, Hagrid and Fang were soon accompanying the party to the castle. Hagrid of course had the keys needed to gain entry, which is why they had gone to him in the first place.

Once inside the castle, it wasn't strictly necessary for Dan and Emma to continue holding Hermione and Harry's hands. Everything was so strange though that neither relinquished that grip on their only link to normality.

They found the passageway to the Headmaster's Office already open, and Dumbledore sitting waiting on them - convincing Hagrid even more that his idol was a great man.

"Ah, come in. I certainly expected to see two of you tonight. All four is indeed a pleasant surprise. You'll be pleased to know the wards I placed around your home worked perfectly. There is no damage but the attackers had fled before I got there. Hagrid, thank you so much for bringing them here." While Albus was talking, his wand was busy conjuring chairs for the four guests - followed by a small table that soon contained tea and biscuits. Hagrid wished them well before heading off home, and back to his bed.

Emma really needed a cup of tea, though it was a bit disconcerting having all those moving portraits watching her drink it. When one of them spoke out, she nearly spilled her tea.

"Muggles in the Headmaster's Office? You go too far, Albus."

This almost started a fight up on the walls as portraits took sides on that argument, an argument that Albus soon put a stop to.

"Silence. How dare you disrespect my guests, Phineas Black. As parents of one of this school's top students, Mister and Mrs Granger have every right to be here. I won't hear another word on the matter." Albus' glare ended any and all complaints.

"Miss Granger, I'm impressed and intrigued that you actually got your parents here. Would you care to tell me how you managed it?"

"I made them an emergency portkey, Headmaster. It took them to the Shrieking Shack. It also alerted me when triggered so Harry and I headed there at once. Getting out of the castle is a lot easier than gaining entry, especially when having my parents along too. So we headed from the Whomping Willow exit straight to Hagrid's hut."

"Can I assume your parents understand how a first year magical student is able to do all of these things?"

"Yes Headmaster, and I would ask that you respect their privacy on the matter. We're all on the same team here and my parents have been very supportive…"

Albus interrupted the young girl. "Miss Granger, you have my word. Since your parents are already at Hogwarts, and welcome to stay, I would like to extend an invitation for them to join us tomorrow for the quidditch match. We'll have lots of visitors so they won't stand out. I'm sure they would like the opportunity to watch Harry play."

"Thank you, sir - for all of that. I'm sure my father will enjoy watching quidditch. My mother will probably be a bit more like me - terrified that Harry will get hurt."

"We can have guest quarters prepared tomorrow but I wonder if I could impose on your hospitality…"

"That would be brilliant, Sir. They can stay in our room for what's left of tonight. We can sort out tomorrow - make that later today - what happens next."

Dan had been overawed by the whole experience tonight. Once he was sure his family were indeed safe, the fact that Dobby had just transported them to the Scottish Highlands in a matter of seconds blew his mind. Events, if anything, had just gotten stranger after that. He felt there was something he could contribute to the situation here though.

"Headmaster, I would like to offer my thanks for placing those wards around our home. They really saved us tonight. The attack also triggered our own alarm system, which includes surveillance cameras. Those cameras would have sent pictures to the alarm company's regional control centre. We should hopefully have images of whoever attacked our house tonight."

"Oh dear, that might just complicate matters..."

"Excuse me, Sir. What do you mean by complicate matters? We're all pretty sure that Malfoy was behind this attack on the Grangers' home, though Emma and Dan wisely didn't hang around long enough to make certain. This might be our proof, and our one chance to make something stick to Malfoy."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but those photographs would never be admissible as proof in a magical courtroom." Albus held his hand up as quite a few of his guests appeared ready to explode at hearing that. "Bearing in mind I know practically nothing about muggle photography, please answer this question honestly. How difficult would it be to fake pictures of Lucius Malfoy being at the Grangers tonight?"

This immediately deflated Harry's ire. Although not yet the phenomenon it would later become, he knew Photoshop and other similar computer programs were already out there. "With the right equipment, ridiculously easy. If Dan get's proof though, that will be good enough for me. Malfoy doesn't seem to care if he breaks the law or not. Those who live by the sword..."

Albus really didn't have an answer to that, more just a request. "Harry, please don't do anything rash."

"Sir, I've got Hermione to stop me doing anything like that."

Albus glanced toward the girl, saw the barely contained rage that there had been an attempt to attack her parents, and wasn't convinced she would be able - or even willing - to contain or curtail her intended's response.

"That doesn't get around the fact that these pictures could be considered a breach of the Statute of Secrecy Act."

It was left to Dan to reassure the headmaster. "The police will have checked our property and found no damage or any signs of forced entry. If these pictures show people in funny costumes trying to gain access, it will be put down as some kind of prank. With no damage, there will be no insurance claim so practically no investigation will take place. The alarm company will send me the photographs as a matter of course, since the alarm was triggered, but the entire incident will then be quickly dropped and forgotten."

Albus was satisfied with that, but certainly intended to inform Amelia and Cornelius about the attack too.

-oOoOo-

Neville awoke to a strange sight - Harry was sleeping in his own bed. The knocking then reminded Neville just what had woken him in the first place. He staggered through to their living room, opening the door to find Professor McGonagall standing there.

"Good morning, Mister Longbottom. The Headmaster informed me you all had some excitement last night."

Neville's puzzled look disappeared the instant he heard the strange voice coming from behind him. He almost jumped out of his pyjamas in fright.

"Good morning Professor McGonagall. It's nice to meet you again."

"I wish the circumstances were better, Mister Granger. Is your wife sharing your daughter's room?"

"Yes. Me on the couch seemed to be the easiest option. I have to say, it was very comfortable.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Harry was now up too. "Morning Professor. I expected Ollie to be banging on our door at first light."

"I did indeed intercept Mister Wood on my way up here. When I told him why I needed to speak with you, he was then worried that you wouldn't be able to play today. You seem to me to all be handling this experience exceedingly well."

It was Dan who quickly answered that. "We had plans in place to deal with something like last night. Emma and I were out of there within seconds of the attack beginning. My family are fine and Professor Dumbledore's work saved our home from being damaged too. Things really couldn't have gone much better for us and we're all very grateful for that. We will hopefully sit down later as a family to discuss exactly what we do next. Our home being attacked certainly changes things."

Harry introduced Neville to Dan, before reassuring their friend he would be included in any plans that saw them moving away from Hogwarts. He also explained why that might happen now, Hermione's house being attacked by suspected death eaters. Harry also assured his head of house he would be ready to play. "It was a rough night, Professor, nothing more. While not ideal preparation for a big match, I'll be fine."

"A rough night? That's an apt description." Hermione then noticed Harry did indeed look rough, she went over and hugged him. His needy response had her own alarm bells ringing.

"After getting back to sleep I had a bad dream - what are the odds on that? I'd just nodded off again when it was time to get up."

Understanding at once what he meant by a bad dream, Hermione couldn't wait to get him alone and discover what the unlocked memory was.

Emma was introduced to Neville too, before McGonagall pushed on with today's arrangements. "I'll have a house elf drop off a couple of robes for you both, then please join us in the Great Hall for breakfast. After that, while Harry heads off with the rest of the team, there should be time enough to get you set up in guest quarters before the match."

While Dan didn't want to put the school to any trouble, he was quite willing to stay here for another night, McGonagall had to say no to that idea.

"These are the children's dorms. While I will have no problem justifying you staying here under last night's circumstances, I really can't do so for another. We're currently arranging guest quarters close to Gryffindor House. With those conditions, and considering it's Saturday, I'll even extend these two's curfew by an hour - providing they're both with you."

After thanking the professor, they all headed off to get ready for their day. Harry was just pulling on his quidditch team jersey when Dan stuck his head in the room and asked if he could use the shower facilities. Pointing him in the right direction, he and Neville then went into their living area. Seeing that Harry would need to wait not only on Hermione and Emma but Dan too, Neville decided he would head down to breakfast first. He didn't want to intrude on the family at a time like this.

Harry was sitting on an armchair when Hermione entered, immediately settling herself on his lap. "What did you remember this time?"

"I don't think it's a huge surprise that Malfoy made an appearance, just as we're both sure he was behind last night. I was in Dumbledore's office and Malfoy strode in as if he owned the place, kicking a beleaguered Dobby in the process. All of us in that office knew Malfoy was behind setting the basilisk on the school but he just challenged us to prove it. Again he walked away with nothing done about it. He's not getting away with it this time."

"Harry, we need to be careful..."

"Hermione, when I tricked him into freeing Dobby, the bastard pulled his wand on a twelve year old kid. Only Dobby knocking him on his arse saved me from getting cursed with who knows what."

Emma was listening in too, as was someone else. A beaming Dobby popped right beside the couple. "Harry remembers freeing Dobby?"

Harry's arm came from around Hermione and his hand rested on Dobby's shoulder. "Best thing ever I did, Dobby. That man is a sadistic arsehole who thinks he's above the law, probably because his position and money have let him get away with just about anything for his entire life. With your help, we can show him that his actions will have consequences. It might be the only way we can stay in Britain..."

A dressed Dan entered still towelling his hair. "What have you got in mind, Harry?"

"If we get photographic proof Malfoy was involved, I intend to send him a message of exactly what will happen if he goes after anyone connected to me again. He needs to know I can and will do whatever is necessary to protect those closest to me."

When Dan heard details of Harry's plans, he was grinning like a loon. It was a ploy straight out of his favourite movie. These people behaved like gangsters, it was time to use tactics they would not only understand - but ignore the warning at their peril.

Harry had both arms back around Hermione as he told everyone the rest of what he'd remembered. "My dream finished with a newly unpetrified Hermione Granger racing into the Great Hall and almost hugging the life out of me - in front of the entire school too. At least I hugged you right back, still without realising just what I felt for you."

"You do now, Harry. What more could I ask for?"

Dan's quip of 'Breakfast?' soon had all of them heading out the door.

-oOoOo-

Draco was also grinning like a loon. His father intended to strike back against Potter last night, and in doing so also ruin any chance of him being able to play in the quidditch match today. Seeing the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team enter without Potter had started him smiling. Longbottom entering and still no sign of Potter just widened that grin. The rumour sweeping through the great hall was that the mudblood's parents had been attacked by wizards last night, a rumour that was being believed - especially by Draco.

That good mood crashed and burned as Potter entered the Great Hall. Not only was he in his quidditch uniform, the two adults with him could only be the mudblood's parents. How was this possible? No one had ever stood up to his father before - and lived to tell the tale.

Harry had quickly settled Ollie's nerves by assuring his captain he was fit and ready to play. As he'd predicted, the game against Ravenclaw had become something much more than a simple school quidditch match. There would be government officials, press representatives and even other concerned parents in the stands today - all here to see if their revered hero - the boy-who-lived - was indeed a coward.

While Harry didn't really give a shit about that, there was now even more at stake here. All four of them recognised the timing of last night's attack was no coincidence. Malfoy thought today's game was important enough of an event to wreck his chances of playing so Harry was going to rub salt into the open wound that was last night's failure. Then he was going to defang Lucius Malfoy for good.

-oOoOo-

The Hogwarts quidditch stands were full to capacity, something that was evident by the noise being generated. Harry spotted Dumbledore, sitting in one of the stands with the Minister of Magic and Head of the D.M.L.E. That at least meant there wouldn't be an attack coming from the possessed Quirrell. Seeing Hagrid beside Hermione and her parents removed any worry from that direction too. No one would mess with the trio of Grangers with their large friend in attendance, something Harry thought Dumbledore was more than shrewd enough to arrange. This left him free to concentrate on the match.

The game started with friendly handshakes all around, then it was down to business. Harry was flying around like he did in the last game, causing disruption wherever he could - though careful not to cross over the line that would have given away a foul.

Gryffindor were thirty points up when the crowd got their first glimpse that things were different. Katie appeared to drop the quaffle but Harry was right below her and plucked it out the air. He bolted toward the Ravenclaw hoops, leaving the rest of the opposition not sure what to do. The keeper was doing his best to cover the top hoop as Harry drew his arm back to shoot there, only for his empty hand to come forward. The quaffle had been flipped over his shoulder, the waiting Katie then firing it through the bottom left hoop to much cheering - and whining from the Ravenclaw team.

Lee's voice boomed out announcing the goal. He also brought to everyone's attention that the rules allowed a seeker to carry the quaffle - but not score with it.

With Harry being the lightest player on the fastest broom, none of the Ravenclaw chasers could get near him when he had the quaffle. Knowing he couldn't score, the keeper was ignoring Harry in favour of watching who was available for the pass. The quaffle bouncing off his back and then tumbling through the lower right hoop had the Gryffindors in the crowd cheering like mad.

Dan was sitting beside Hagrid and Neville, all three of them were right into the game. Emma had both hands over her eyes and occasionally peeking through her fingers.

"Hermione, how can you possibly watch this?"

Putting her arm around her mother allowed Hermione to have her mouth close to Emma's ear. She was then able to speak without fear of being overheard. "I watched Harry fly against a dragon. Compared to that, quidditch is tame."

Shuddering at the mere thought of witnessing that, Emma glanced toward her husband. Dan was punching the air and screaming his approval as Gryffindor scored another goal. There was then a massive intaking of breath as Harry's broom seemed to fall out the sky. The other seeker though was right on his broom's bristles so Emma though it must be a dive. She wanted to scream as the ground rushed up to meet Harry at a ridiculously fast pace but no sound was coming out of her wide open mouth. Harry pulled up not a second too soon and whizzed safely away, the other seeker wasn't as skilful and ploughed into the pitch.

Harry flew past and high fived Hermione as she leaned over the barrier, just as the Ravenclaw captain called a time-out. Dan's eyes were sparkling with excitement as he spoke to the girls in his life. "I've never seen anything like this - it's fantastic!"

Using his years of experience from watching his beloved football, Dan offered an analogy of what he thought was happening up in the air. "It's like playing three midfielders against four. The three are being totally overrun, and Harry just took out the only player capable of evening that part of the game out. The skill and tactics on show out there today are simply fantastic. Those three Gryffindor girls appear able to read each other's minds, and Harry is clearly the best and quickest flier out there. With the twins batting those cannonballs with the precision of a snooker pro too, It's easy to see why the other team is getting swamped."

If a muggle at his first match could see what was happening, the Ravenclaw captain certainly had no trouble discerning what the problem was. That didn't mean he knew how to fix it though. All their plays and preparations assumed they would be facing three chasers, not four. With no answers he was left trying to encouraged his dazed and bruised seeker to hurry up and catch the snitch - before it was too late.

A smiling Cornelius was also enjoying himself. No matter the score today, Harry Potter had answered the accusations publicly aimed in his direction in The Prophet by Lucius Malfoy. There was also the fact that he had given Dumbledore permission to erect those wards on the Grangers' home, something he would be sure to work into the conversation he intended to have with Harry later. Amelia would also have the attack investigated, though none of them expected that to turn up much evidence. If Harry Potter chose to leave Hogwarts and Britain, things like that may be the only reasons Cornelius held onto his job.

As their score climbed, it seemed to supply even more energy to the Gryffindor attack. When they surged one hundred and sixty points ahead, their supporters went absolutely nuts. It also had the effect of totally demoralising the Ravenclaw team, it was almost a relief for them when Harry eventually caught the snitch.

The Gryffindor supporters were ecstatic, as was the team. Harry shot up to Hermione and presented her with the snitch, receiving a kiss from his intended before Emma almost smothered him in a hug of relief.

Due to the massive interest in this match, and doubt placed over their quidditch playing children's safety by the Prophet article, Dumbledore had invited the families of those playing today along to watch the game. With her twin brothers wearing the red and gold of Gryffindor, Ginny Weasley sat beside her father as she got to see her first Hogwarts quidditch match.

Although there had been two Weasleys up in the air, Ginny was sure she wasn't the only person in the stadium who couldn't take her eyes off Harry Potter. It was no hardship however, he was easily the star player up there. She could have done without seeing him kiss his intended, and that didn't look like anything other than a kiss between a very serious couple.

The girl's mother then hugging Harry was also entirely genuine. Ginny came from a family whose mother practiced the exact same behaviour, she certainly could recognise a genuine hug when she saw one. It didn't look however as if Molly Weasley would ever be hugging Harry Potter like that. Between them, the two Granger ladies seemed to have those positions all sewn up. That Harry appeared very happy about that fact really drove home to Ginny her childhood dreams would never be anything more than just that.

-oOoOo-

Albus had set an unused classroom aside and the Hogwarts elves soon had it transformed into a suitable location where the players could mingle with their parents. This would be done while enjoying a light buffet and some refreshments - thus also providing Cornelius with an opportunity to meet the players too.

Hermione and her parents were of course invited. The girl with memories of the future also knew there was no way a certain Arthur Weasley could be in a room with two muggles and not approach them. He didn't even wait for Harry to arrive before introducing himself, and his daughter of course.

This was how Hermione found herself chatting to Ginny Weasley. "Are you the little sister who wrote to Harry?"

Her blush was of epic proportions and Ginny could only nod in agreement, her voice somewhat deserting the bashful little redhead.

"That's great. Harry and I have met four Weasleys so far at Hogwarts, and two of them are our friends." Hermione didn't need to name names. Ginny knew exactly which of her brothers she was speaking of. Arthur meanwhile was far too busy concentrating on interrogating Hermione's mother and father to care what the two girls were talking about.

The teams arriving disrupted all conversations and Harry was soon standing with his arm around Hermione's waist as she introduced him to Ginny. That went about as well as could be expected, with Ginny at least managing to say 'hi'. Her twin brothers then recommended Hermione save her parents from their father, Arthur's fascination with muggles being a long running joke in the Weasley family.

Dan and Emma's relief at being rescued was short lived. After escaping Arthur's inane questions - 'what is the purpose of a rubber duck?' - they then found themselves in the company of the Minister of Magic. Harry handled the introductions and Cornelius was happy to shake a couple of muggles by the hand. He was actually prepared to do a lot more than that to keep Harry Potter in Britain.

"I was really sorry to hear of your home being attacked, though delighted signing that warding permission played a small part in what became a fortuitous outcome. Madam Bones will have her aurors checking today to see if they can determine any information from the attack. I have to be honest here and say she's not too hopeful it will. What they will also do though is add an auror alarm ward to your existing protection. This will see those wards monitored from within the ministry. Should this ever be attempted again, the attackers will find a squad of aurors appearing when that ward is triggered."

Hermione thanked the Minister profusely, both for his initial permission and the follow on alarm wards. She recognised why he was doing this but keeping her parents safe was their number one priority here. Anything that helped with that aim was okay in her book.

The Minister then gushed all over Harry about the game he'd played today. While the praise was deserved, it didn't make Harry's blush any less noticeable.

Emma and Dan were also seeing the 'children' in what they now considered their natural environment, a magical one. While being introduced to that culture's Prime Minister was a bit of a shock, seeing their daughter not only being accepted but have friends was somewhat of a dream come true for her once worried parents.

Visiting Hogwarts and seeing where and how they lived, meeting Neville and some of their other friends too, all this was helping Emma and Dan reach the decision they wouldn't have believed possible last night. They had Dobby watching over them in Crawley and now the Ministry would also respond along with Dumbledore should this attack ever be repeated. They also knew what Harry had planned as retribution against Malfoy, should the security cameras pictures place him at the house.

They would leave Harry and Hermione at Hogwarts, at least until their already planned conversations on the matter over the summer. Seeing how close they were to Neville, they would also ask Harry and Hermione if they wanted to invite their friend to Crawley over the summer. They would stay in the castle tonight in the lovely guest quarters provided and return to Crawley tomorrow.

Due to the methods of transportation available to them, they would be able to have lunch with Harry and Hermione yet still be home in time for dinner. That was one thing both non magicals thought they could easily get used to.

-oOoOo-

That there had been a press presence at the school quidditch match saw Harry Potter once more feature heavily in The Prophet. Albus had allowed team photographs to be taken before the match, though barred all press from the families gathering after the game, and it was the Gryffindor team picture that hit the headlines. While their teamwork, inventive use of strategy and plays were rightly praised, the paper couldn't help but single out the performance of their seeker, Harry Potter. Harry's control on his Nimbus Two Thousand had rather graphically and comprehensively rubbished any claims his flying was a danger to the other players. The same report also praised Hogwarts for recognising the young wizard had prodigious talent on a broom, relaxing their own rules to accommodate and help develop that tremendous potential. It was also widely reported that professional quidditch teams the length and breadth of the country were already showing interest in Harry Potter's abilities.

All this positive attention on Potter had really ruined Lucius' week. Instead of his usual glass of exquisite port before bed, the amount consumed by the seething head of the Malfoy family had steadily climbed each and every night. So much so that it was a rather slow and disjointed hand that blindly reached for his wand on the nightstand in response to his wife's horrified screams.

Using his wand to dramatically increase the illumination in their bedroom, Lucius was first puzzled at how the hand holding his wand had blood dripping from it. Turning to his still screaming wife, he couldn't miss that she was standing out of their bed and liberally splattered with fresh blood too. Cissy's eyes were almost bulging out of her head as she stared back into the bed, her screams if anything becoming more frantic and distraught.

It was then the alcohol evaporated out of Lucius' system as he noticed who was still in the bed with him. Lucius was staring into the lifeless eyes of his son. As if that wasn't bad enough, he was staring into the lifeless eyes of his son's detached head. The rest of Draco's body was missing, the head appearing to have been brutally ripped off, and thus accounting for why he and Cissy were covered in their son's sticky red blood.

It took a moment for Lucius to realise he was screaming too, that was before what was now pinned to the headboard caught his eye. He didn't know how this item was taken, or even how it got into its present position. There wasn't a single shred of ambiguity concerning what this item was however. Standing in his death eater regalia, a clearly identifiable Lucius Malfoy was pictured attacking Potter's mudblood's home.

Written across the bottom of the large photograph in blood, probably Draco's, was just one word.

**_RETRIBUTION._**

His wife's grief was turning to anger as it began to dawn on her who was responsible for this chilling catastrophe. "You stupid, arrogant bastard. You just couldn't let it go. Now our son has been murdered…"

Narcissa was then left trying to believe her eyes. Her son's beautiful features were slowly transforming into something horrible - though with its own special sense of beauty. Where once had lain Draco's detached head, his bloody yet still aristocratic features easily identifiable, there was now forming a pile of offal. This led to the beautiful hope that her son may indeed be still alive and well. The flames of that hope were fanned further still by the message on the picture changing too. Blood was now running over Lucius' image in the picture as this message was far longer, though still managed to get its point across with horrifying clarity and simplicity.

**_NO MORE WARNINGS_**

**_MOVE AGAINST MY FAMILY_**

**_DRACO DIES_**

**_THEN NARCISSA_**

**_FINALLY YOU_**

**_NO MORE MALFOYS_**

As Lucius eventually stumbled out of the bloody bed, and away from the blood-soaked offal, his relief at Draco apparently still being alive was soon replaced by his incandescent fury at who was obviously responsible for this warning.

"This is Potter's doing! I'm going to…"

Lucius never got to say what he intended to do to a certain Harry Potter. The curse that left his wife's wand passed close enough to his head for Lucius to feel the power it contained. Her power abated not an iota as it transferred to her voice while a raging Cissy screamed at him.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR TINY FUCKING MIND?"

With a Herculean effort, she managed to rein in her temper just enough to be able to talk with her husband. Her wand though was still trained on him.

"This person was not only able to access our home, they were clearly in our bedroom while we slept. Both of us could have been murdered and we wouldn't have known anything about it."

"Exactly, he hasn't got the balls to carry his threat out"

"You're prepared to gamble all out lives on that? Let's remember, he can get to Draco anytime he wants inside Hogwarts. Dumbledore won't investigate his golden boy and all they would need to do was make our son's death look like an accident. Just because he's giving out a warning first, that doesn't mean Potter won't kill if he feels he has to. You, or anyone else, attacking the mudblood's family will see him make that decision. Is that worth the death of our son? Is it worth my life? Is it worth the annihilation of the entire Malfoy family? You yourself have told Draco and I many times that muggles are beneath us, mere worthless creatures. Are you willing to gamble all our lives on this matter, just so you can again attempt to harm these particular worthless creatures?"

Seeing she was finally getting through to her husband, Narcissa changed tack. "They seem to have been one step ahead of everyone since Potter took up with the mudblood. Now is not the time to go charging in like a bloody Gryffindor. It's way past time for some Slytherin cunning to be brought to bare on the matter."

Lucius stood there amid the stench that was reeking from the bloody mess on their marital bed. With blood in his hair, the same substance polluting his silk pyjamas, and his wife's wand still steadily pointed at him - Lucius finally began to think rationally about the situation. "Darla."

The little female elf popped into the bedroom. She stood in her tattered and faded blue plaid dress, head down and hands behind her back. "Master called for Darla?"

"Who was in this house, elf."

"Darla didn't see anyone in the house, Master. Would Master like Darla to clean the mess in here?"

The kick sent Darla to her knees. The elf didn't think it was too bad though, Master didn't have his boots on.

"Who do you think is going to clean it? Burn those sheets, pillows - the mattress too. I will sleep in Draco's room tonight while your mistress will choose one of the guest bedrooms. Have them prepared first before clearing up this mess. Burn these too." Lucius stripped out of his pyjamas. The expensive nightwear was covered with so much blood, they hit the marble floor with a splat.

Narcissa disrobed at the same time before heading off in the direction of their showers. Lucius though had more to say before leaving their bedroom. "The person who did this will pay."

A now naked Narcissa stared straight into her husband's eyes and made a promise. "Whoever did this left me thinking our son had been brutally murdered. Even just for a moment, that pain was unbearable. They are not getting away with doing that to us. We need a plan that hurts them yet in no way even hints at any Malfoy involvement. Come to me with a plan like that and I swear I will help you take our revenge."

This was more like the witch he married, Lucius nodded in agreement. "I'll check the wards after my shower, you write to Draco and have him confirm nothing is amiss as quickly as possible. We'll let things settle down before retaliating. That will give us more time to plan too."

Only after they had left the room did Darla's mouth form a wry smile. Dobby would be so proud of her, and making Dobby proud was quickly becoming more important to Darla than pleasing her family. Dobby was teaching Darla how not to lie, but still not answer Master's questions. Darla knew it was Dobby who had accomplished this tonight but she had deliberately not seen him. Therefore Darla could truthfully answer her master and protect Dobby too.

Dobby was helping Darla with so much, and promised to try and free her from the bad family too. Dobby was such a powerful elf, and Darla would give anything to be part of his family. Telling Dobby about any plans the bad Masters made should help with Dobby's family liking Darla too, though Dobby said they would do so anyway.

Master thought he was being so clever, ordering Darla to keep the family's secrets. Dobby was family though, even if Master thought Dobby was dead. Dobby said he was free, and his magic certainly allowed him to do things against the Master that Darla could never do. Then again, the house magic didn't stop Darla talking to, or even sometimes helping, Dobby. Darla didn't know why that was, Darla just knew the handsome elf would always receive anything Dobby asked of Darla. The little elf popped away to carry out the tasks her Master had just ordered Darla to do.


	12. The More Things Change

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 12 - The More Things Change**

Ron was left wondering what he had done to deserve all this bad luck. His Hogwarts experience had started off so spectacularly too, yet was now turning to one big steaming pile of shit. To make matters even worse, his beloved quidditch had now become an instrument of torture to Ron. You couldn't mention the sport anywhere in Hogwarts without the conversation instantly switching to Gryffindor's amazing last game.

That the boy he'd initiated a censure procedure against was easily the stand-out player of their unbelievable win left the students with the greyed-out house associations even further alienated inside Gryffindor - and a laughing stock amongst the other three houses.

Ron was left delighted that Valentine's Day was almost upon them. Not that he expected anything in the way of cards or gifts from any of the castle's witches. No, it was more to provide a reason for others to think about something or someone else for a while - rather than the Gryffindor five.

However welcome though, Valentine's day would ultimately prove to be nothing more than a brief interlude in this dreadful situation. What Ron needed was a way to endear himself to the rest of Gryffindor House. Otherwise, you didn't need to have any seer in you to predict a resorting in his future come September. The main problems with achieving this aim was that he hadn't a clue how to go about it, and even the calendar was slowly turning against him. Every day that he didn't come up with an idea to keep him in Gryffindor was a day closer to his resorting.

Since no Weasley would ever be sorted into Slytherin, and he was honest enough to admit Ravenclaw was beyond his academic capabilities, that left only Hufflepuff as an alternative house. Ron didn't think his pride would survive being resorted from Gryffindor to Hufflepuff, he really would rather just leave Hogwarts without adding that ignominy to his already dreadful school experience.

-oOoOo-

Harry also had a couple of reasons to be thankful it was now St Valentine's Day. Unsurprisingly, both of those reasons centred around Hermione. For one, she'd agreed not to mention him playing quidditch against Slytherin next month for all of today. More specifically though, it was playing Gryffindor's new system, a system that put their seeker in a lot more danger of being injured, that had Hermione constantly on his case.

Having never seen a Gryffindor versus Slytherin match, Harry had no idea of just how bad things could get up there - and he wasn't taking her warnings as seriously as she'd clearly hoped he would.

The second reason to be thankful was Hermione herself - or rather what she meant to Harry. This was the first year he would be celebrating this most romantic of days while having a significant other in his life, he wanted the entire day to be perfect for his intended.

Hermione awoke cuddling into Harry, his arms lovingly wrapped around her.

"Good morning, Love. Happy Valentine's Day."

Hermione enjoyed the kiss that followed Harry's greeting. "Mmm… You're lovely and warm to cuddle into, and you even used a breath freshening charm before kissing me good morning. I might have to keep you, Mister Potter."

It was only then Hermione noticed her bedroom was bedecked with dozens of red roses. "Oh Harry, They're beautiful…"

"Considering who they are for, they needed to be…"

"Listen, Harry - I've got no moves - Potter, You're spoiling me. I would have been more than happy with just one…"

"So you want me to cancel the romantic evening meal for two I've got planned? Neville is going to give us the full evening to ourselves, and Dobby knows all your favourite foods…" Hermione kissed him before Harry could say any more.

"Mmm… Remind me to make sure to plan some time into our evening for doing a lot more of that…"

"You mean you haven't already?"

"Oh you better believe 'kissing Hermione' was top of my list of things that I had to arrange time for. I'm just wondering if I can move some time from dancing to increase the portion I've allocated to be spent kissing…"

"With the right music, I'm sure we could sway to the rhythm while kissing at the same time."

"Beautiful, brilliant, and lying here in my arms. How did I ever get so lucky?"

"I'm the lucky one, Harry. I'm also the hungry one. We need to get up for breakfast."

"I had considered arranging breakfast in bed for us but thought that might be tempting fate. McGonagall would have both of us for breakfast if she caught us in bed together." With their last kiss before rising, Harry headed off to get ready to face the day.

The Great Hall was more animated than usual this morning, with owl traffic increased considerably. Hermione was wearing one of her red roses pined to her robes as she and Harry enjoyed breakfast together. A soft yelp of shock had both of them looking across the table at their best friend.

With a blush that turned his face scarlet, Neville was staring at the two owls that were trying to deliver what were obviously Valentine cards to him.

"Two, Neville? My, someone's popular."

Harry was having a chuckle at Hermione's quip, and Neville's embarrassment at receiving two cards. "Rather you than me, mate. I was dreading a queue of owls for the boy-who-lived. You've met my intended, she doesn't share."

Shaking his head, Neville removed both cards from the owls who delivered them. "Since Hermione's your intended, and the entire country knows that, it would have been considered the height of bad manners to send either of you Valentine cards."

Opening the envelopes confirmed Neville's suspicions. "They're from Lavender and Parvati. They keep pushing and I don't know what to do."

A quick glance from Harry to Hermione was all it took for her to understand she should offer their friend some advice. "Neville, I'm sorry you're caught up in this but please don't feel you have to not talk to people because of us. Parvati and Lavender have at least admitted they made a mistake in following the two redheads at the centre of the problem. Thanks also for giving Harry and I the evening to ourselves tonight. Why don't you use that time to sit and talk with the girls? I really don't want to be the only Gryffindor witch in second year so someone has to make the first move towards reconciliation. Seeing the way they're all being treated actually leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Had things worked out differently, it could so easily have been us left in that position…"

"Um, you don't think they'll take the wrong meaning out of me talking to them on Valentine's Day, do you?"

"Neville, they are two lovely young ladies - unless you have your eye on someone else?"

His blush was back as Neville shook his head in answer to Hermione's question.

"Sorry to break this to you, Neville, but those girls will take whatever meaning they want out of you talking to them - no matter what day it is."

Knowing Hermione was, as usual, right, Neville could only groan at what was now lying on the table in front of him.

Harry then had a quick word of warning for their best friend. "Nev, both girls can hardly eat their breakfast for glancing over to see your reaction to their cards."

If nothing else, Neville Longbottom had been raised to be a gentleman. Plastering a smile on his face, he made a show of reading both cards again before carefully putting them in his pocket. Seeing how both girls reacted to that had Hermione smiling too. While she and Harry spent a romantic evening together, Neville was going to begin building bridges that might see their Gryffindor yeargroup eventually heal.

-oOoOo-

Sometimes Hermione hated being right, and this was certainly one of those occasions. The Slytherins had been brutal throughout the match, with most of their brutality being focused on Harry. He was battered and bruised but actually seemed to be enjoying himself, which just appeared to infuriate the Slytherin team all the more. That, and the fact their arch rivals, Gryffindor, were currently hammering them while three quarters of the school cheered the red and gold on.

While everyone in the Quidditch Stadium was concentrating on Alicia taking the latest penalty - it would put Gryffindor one hundred and fifty points ahead - a Slytherin beater silently flew up behind Harry. As the quaffle sailed through the top hoop, Bole's beater bat whistled through the air on its route to the back of Harry's head.

Some sixth sense had Harry move at the last second, which saved his head, but was not quick enough to avoid being hurt. The bat still connected solidly against Harry, and with more than enough force to shatter his shoulder blade. Hermione's wand was in her hand, thinking she was the only person to witness what had just happened to Harry - she was wrong.

Dumbledore's 'aresto momentum' spell caught Harry just after he was thrown from his broom by the force of the blow. Hermione felt as if she was currently moving faster than her intended, and that was with the young witch having to literally push people out of her way while racing for the stairs. The Gryffindors were slowly stopping celebrating the latest goal as they finally saw their seeker falling from his broom to the ground.

Hermione screamed her loudest from the stand, her voice reverberating right across the now silent pitch, and just in time to stop Fred Weasley's desperate rescue attempt. "DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Fred was trying to grab Harry as he fell, that could actually do more harm than good. She quickly cast a cushioning charm on the patch of the pitch where Harry was going to land.

Finally down the stairs and now racing across the grass, Hermione then quantified her reason for shouting at Fred while speeding toward him. He was now standing protectively over Gryddindor's fallen seeker. "I'm pretty sure that bastard Bole broke his shoulder, hitting him with a beater's bat. That's why I shouted, Fred. You grabbing Harry's arm could have done even more damage. Dumbledore had Harry's fall under control from the second he was knocked off his broom."

Harry was still conscious as she got there and knelt at his side, but pain was written all over his features.

"You were right, love. Shower of dirty bastards…"

The grimace showed just how much pain he was in. Hermione wanted to cast the numbing charm on his shoulder but there were far too many witnesses who would certainly wonder how she knew such advanced magic. She then spotted Dumbledore quickly making his way toward them too. Fred was standing beside Hermione while George was trying to stop Oliver - who'd seen the entire incident while guarding his own set of hoops - from physically ripping Bole's head off.

Albus immediately cast a numbing charm on the boy's shoulder, seeing the pain leave Harry's face was its own reward. He couldn't miss the utter rage being emitted from Harry's intended. Miss Granger had her wand in her hand and probably didn't even realise she hadn't put it away agter casting the cushioning charm. Albus remembered her asking him to attend Harry's quidditch matches, he was beginning to understand that request now. Had she been forced to cast the 'aresto momentum' spell, there would now be a large question mark over her seemingly extraordinary magical abilities. He would have to deal with the perpetrators of this attack on Harry most severely.

Madam Pomfrey pushed past Albus, her focus solely on her newest patient. With all the players now on the ground, Madam Hooch approached the Headmaster.

"I was watching the penalty being taken and didn't see the incident where Mister Potter was injured. Can I assume you saw it, Headmaster?"

"Mister Bole attempted to cave the back of Mister Potter's head in with his beater's bat."

"My bat slipped…" Bole's crass comment had the rest of his team sniggering while their captain now taunted his Gryffindor counterpart.

"Hey Wood, do you concede? You can't win the match without your seeker."

A livid Oliver was in no mood to make any concessions. "Neither can you. Fred, George, when the match restarts - take out their seeker. Do what you have to do - within the rules - but I want him on the ground and unable to continue. Don't worry about anything else, we'll look after ourselves…"

That tactical change from Gryffindor almost started a battle on the pitch, leaving Albus with no other option than to intercede. "Mister Bole, is that your last word on this matter? Just to explain some of the trouble you are currently in. As of right this minute, you are barred from ever playing quidditch at Hogwarts again…"

The Slytherins tried to turn their ire onto the Headmaster but were quickly silenced by a mere look, and Albus wasn't finished yet. "Your 'bat slipped' explanation doesn't satisfy me in the slightest, so shall we see what the D.M.L.E. make of it?"

The headmaster was interrupted by a clearly unhappy Poppy. "Mister Potter's scapula is shattered beyond repair. I'm going to have to vanish the bones and regrow them. If the same blow from that bat had struck his head, Mister Potter would almost certainly have been dead before he hit the ground. The fall alone might have been enough to see us with a fatality here if you hadn't caught him with that spell."

Hearing that diagnosis was like a bucket of iced water being flung over each of those involved in this situation, kicking the seriousness level up by quite a few levels too. Albus pinned the offender with his gaze.

"Well, Mister Bole? Have you anything to add to your previous statement? Bearing in mind, once the D.M.L.E. become involved it will cease to be a matter that can be dealt with by Hogwarts."

All the colour had drained from Bole's features, there was certainly no sniggering from the rest of his teammates this time. "We were told to take Potter out, the harder the better…"

Fred had to physically restrain Hermione from attacking Bole after hearing that. Even although he was bigger and stronger than the first year witch, it was still a close call.

Septima had heard enough. As Heads of House to those playing, she and Minerva had both made their way onto the pitch. "Slytherin concedes the match…" The howls of derision from the members of her house team saw their Head of House quickly slapping them down.

"If you think what happened here today is acceptable behaviour for a member of my house then you are sadly mistaken. Quidditch is a game, not an excuse to settle house vendettas. I will be investigating this matter thoroughly. Should I discover you were all involved, Slytherin will be withdrawing from this year's Quidditch Cup, and requiring an entire new team come September."

Nodding his acceptance of that decision, Albus began issuing orders. "Professor Vector, could you accompany Mister Bole to my office? I shall be there shortly to deal with the matter. Professor McGonagall, would you accompany Mister Potter to the infirmary before joining us in my office to help decide Mister Bole's punishment."

As Harry was gently levitated away, a now barely back under control Hermione at his side, Albus then addressed the stands packed full of spectators. Casting a sonorus charm on himself, his amplified voice passed on the result of their deliberations to the waiting crowd.

"Due to a player's behaviour that bordered on criminal, the Head of Slytherin House has conceded the match to Gryffindor."

There was no protest or even celebration coming from any section of the stands. Bole was being led away while Potter needed levitated to the infirmary. Both teams walked off the pitch with their heads down, neither feeling like the victors. That alone told the story of what had just happened here.

Today would be remembered as the day when quidditch at Hogwarts changed forever. While what happened on the quidditch pitch had always tended to be dealt with by the same rules that governed the sport, they had just witnessed a fundamental change. Dumbledore had just demonstrated that, first and foremost, the players were still Hogwarts students. Therefore their behaviour would always be judged under the school's rule - not anyone else's.

With the shattered bone now vanished, most of Harry's pain left with it. He found it quite disconcerting though to have his arm just flopping about. "Can my bone really be regrown? How long will it take?"

Professor McGonagall was levitating Harry to the infirmary but it was Madam Pomfrey who answered his medical questions. "You'll drink a potion called skele-gro and spend an uncomfortable night in the infirmary. Growing bone back isn't exactly fun. You should be free to leave by tomorrow, providing you take care of that shoulder when I discharge you."

"Don't worry, Madam Pomfrey, I'll make sure he follows whatever instructions you give him to the letter." Hermione's declaration left Harry no wiggle room at all. This time, he would be doing exactly what she told him.

Harry knew he would be in trouble with his intended from the instant that bat hit his shoulder. Him having to spend the night in the infirmary wouldn't help Hermione's ire either. She was walking at his uninjured side and Harry reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I'm sorry love, you were right. Using those tactics against Slytherin was a bad mistake..."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione tried to centre herself. Harry was lying there in pain, the last thing he needed was to have his head bitten off by her. She attempted to sum up today's situation without any verbal mauling. "Harry, what do you think my parents' reactions would have been if that was the quidditch match they had seen?"

Knowing Dan and Emma, there was only one way they would react to the sheer brutality that had been on display against him today. "They would have withdrawn their daughter from Hogwarts, knowing I would have immediately followed you out the door."

Hermione's anger spilled over as she began to rant. "That was quidditch in name only. The only objective of the entire Slytherin team today was to hurt you, and the penalties Madam Hooch kept giving against them didn't curb their disgusting conduct in the slightest. They wanted the chance to hurt Harry Potter, and knew putting you in the infirmary would also win them the game too. Everyone in the stadium could see what their game plan was, yet no one did anything to stop it."

"Miss Granger, quiddich can be a dangerous sport…"

Her Head of House wasn't injured so Hermione didn't feel the need to hold back this time. "Professor, please don't insult my intelligence. That was nothing more than an organised assault on my intended by seven older Slytherin wizards. Gryffindor were playing quidditch while Slytherin were playing for keeps. My Harry could have been killed, and it would have been passed off as a tragic quidditch accident. What I saw in that stadium was no accident. Thankfully, Professor Dumbledore saw it too."

"Yes, and the Slytherins' behaviour cost them the match…"

"The match? You think I care a jot about the match? Answer me this question, Professor. At any other time, in any other part of Hogwarts, would what those Slytherins were trying to do to Harry have been instantly stopped?"

"Of course it would…"

"And there is your problem. The last war isn't over, Professor. The attack on my parents' house proved that." Hermione cut McGonagall off before she could come back at her. "Our home's security system took pictures of three wizards, in full death eater regalia, as they attacked our muggle house. Professor Dumbledore told us those pictures were useless in a magical court, even though one of the attackers is clearly identifiable. The Slytherins took that war to the boy-who-lived today, and the entire staff of Hogwarts sat there and watched them doing so. You heard Madam Pomfrey's assessment of how bad it could have been, or very nearly was. Do you disagree with her? That match should have been stopped long before it got to that stage."

Harry then chipped into the conversation, aware Hermione's anger had her sailing close to the edge of what would be considered acceptable behaviour by their Head of House. "In football, our main sport, a bad foul gets the player awarded a yellow card by the referee. Committing a really bad foul draws a red card - an immediate sending off and suspension from at least the next match. Receive two yellow cards in the same match and they also count as a red - you're off and suspended too. Slytherin would have been down to just their keeper today, that's how bad they were."

The young couple discovered they had a supporter for that idea in the Hogwarts healer. "Anything that cuts down on the students being injured gets my vote. Their safety is our responsibility after all. Quidditch can be a dangerous sport, and yes, accidents can and will happen. Today though was no accident. It was a premeditated attack on Mister Potter. A system like that might have stopped today's fiasco from happening."

"But what about our traditions?"

They had just entered the castle and Hermione actually stopped to stare at her Head of House, not quite believing what she had just heard. "I just watched seven pureblood use your traditions to legally beat the snot out of my intended. Why should Harry and I willingly accept traditions that attempt to make us second class citizens in comparison to cretins like Bole? In our society, there are actually laws that prevent someone being discriminated against by their sex, creed or colour. What about our traditions, Professor?"

Taking a deep breath, Hermione lowered her hostility level and started walking beside Harry again. "My home was attacked yet the magical courts won't accept our evidence - simply because it's muggle generated. If we take that evidence to our courts, where it most certainly will be accepted and acted upon, the magical courts would have us up for breeching the Statute of Secrecy. It's today's situation all over again, Professor. They make the rules and know exactly how to break them. Are we just supposed to stand back and take the blows? I've always felt that offering someone your other cheek just leaves you with both sides of your face slapped."

Minerva so wanted to refute this first year witch's conclusions but was left trying to defend a system she herself didn't really support. "I can sympathise with your arguments, especially since you don't know most of our traditions - or how they came to be. It's something I've long fought for and am pleased to say we can at least address part of that shortly. Madam Longbottom, Neville's Grandmother, is going to be in Hogwarts and offering classes on wizarding traditions and our culture. It's hoped this can forge closer links for those students who don't have a magical background."

A determined Hermione nodded her acceptance of that. "Harry and I will be there, Professor. First rule of war - know thy enemy."

"Miss Granger! Do you think we're your enemy?"

"They went after the muggle born before. I don't see them changing that tactic - do you? As Harry's muggle born intended, I'll be near the top of their hit list. The fact my home has already been attacked should surely answer that question."

Knowing Hermione was close to losing it, and ready to go toe-to-toe with anyone, Harry squeezed her hand in support and attempted to defuse the situation. "Yes we are a wizard and witch but not all countries in the world are as backward looking as magical Britain. We're looking for somewhere where we won't be judged on who our parents are, rather concentrating instead on taking the time to discover who we are. We've committed to Hogwarts until the end of term, no further. I think Hermione and I will definitely be discussing the situation with our families over the summer."

Hermione squeezing his hand let Harry know he got it right, and again McGonagall was left without an answer. They barely made the infirmary when she left for Dumbledore's office. Both teens would like to have been a fly on the wall at that meeting.

-oOoOo-

Emma was also wishing she could be a fly on a certain wall in Privet Drive as she told Dan how her afternoon tea meeting had gone.

"Petunia told me her husband and son were digging their heels in over Harry and Hermione staying with them over the summer. They seemed to be prepared to put up with Harry for ten days to gain the protection. I got the impression they didn't want Hermione there to witness how they treat Harry. Petunia could have done with something stronger than tea after I told her our house had been attacked by wizards."

This drew a chuckle out of Dan. "I'll bet she changed her mind after hearing that. There's no way Hermione will let Harry go there for ten days without her."

"You know, I actually think she was jealous we got to see Hogwarts, and spend the weekend inside the castle. Petunia just kept repeating she didn't think that was possible for normal people. Like you, I know there's no chance those two will be apart for ten days - they wouldn't last ten hours. Petunia was heading home to convince the men in her life that they need both Harry and Hermione staying there over the summer. It's the only way they'll be protected from an attack."

Dobby popping into the lounge was a welcome sight, that was until they saw he was in a state of some distress. Hearing that Harry was currently in the infirmary shared that distress around, Emma now had tears in her eyes too. Hermione's quickly scribbled note, explaining that Harry would be back to normal tomorrow, eased a fair bit of their worries. Dobby saying he would be popping back to Hogwarts later to check on them was the only reason any of the trio were able to face dinner.

-oOoOo-

Harry's bed in the infirmary had people gathered around it all day. The entire quidditch team turned up to see how he was, staying awhile to chat. They had no sooner left when Neville arrived, with a very nervous Parvati and Lavender in tow. They too all stayed to chat. Though pleased to see the gradual rebuilding of relationships within Gryffindor, between all the visitors and the perpetually hovering Madam Pomfrey, Harry and Hermione never got a moment's privacy to discuss anything.

When Harry started flagging, due to his injuries and the potions, Madam Pomfrey chased everyone not a patient out of her domain.

Due to the pain in his shoulder from having to regrow his shoulder blade, Harry spent a restless evening. Sleep was fitful at best though hearing a slight pop had him instantly wide awake. Dobby had popped Hermione to him. She climbed in beside her intended, on Harry's uninjured side, while awaiting the nod from Dobby that he had his wards up before speaking.

With the okay from their little friend, both spoke the same words at the same time. "I'm sorry about today…"

Seeing Hermione smile at that, Harry gently kissed her before speaking again. "Let me go first, love. I'm sorry for not listening to your warnings, and then making you sit through that. I've been lying here trying to imagine how I would feel, left sitting helpless and having to watch you get physically beaten. You must be stronger than me because I don't think - hell I know I couldn't do that."

She kissed her intended to show he was forgiven, now it was her turn. "I'm sorry for going off at you today, Harry. You're right, sitting watching that was torture. We went to all this trouble to come back and save you, then you were almost killed at a stupid quidditch game. I just totally lost it."

Harry kissed her before confessing. "I feel like a bit of a fraud. You see, there is nothing you need forgiving for - not from me anyway."

Hermione blushed as she had a confession of her own to make. "After dinner, and knowing I couldn't get back in to see you, I visited Professor McGonagall. I tried to apologise but she too wouldn't let me. We had a nice cup of tea and a bit of shortbread while discussing what happened after she left us. She, like everyone else, had been watching the penalty being taken. Professor Dumbledore used his pensieve to show his memory of the event to both Heads of House and Bole. After seeing Dumbledore's memory, McGonagall said she perfectly understood my anger, knowing I would be watching you as it happened."

Snuggling in to Harry's good side, Hermione told him what else she'd learned. "After seeing that memory, and having Dumbledore, McGonagall and Vector all glaring at him, Bole spilled everything he knew. It turns out Draco had originally offered a hundred galleons to whoever put you in the infirmary…"

Dobby's silencing charms were tested as Harry let out a rather loud 'WHAT!'

A grinning Hermione told him there was more to come. "Apparently, when Draco sent home for the galleons, his parents went ballistic at the little shit. Not only was Draco ordered to withdraw that offer at once, he was also told in no uncertain terms to stay the hell away from both of us."

"It would seem the Malfoys are taking our warning seriously."

"Let's just say Draco isn't 'Mister Popular' in Slytherin, or at home. The Slytherins though didn't need the promise of gold to want to put you in the infirmary. All seven of the players were involved in the plot and Professor Vector has kicked every single one of them off the team. They've conceded the last match too, throwing this year's quidditch cup into disarray. A solution has been proposed and Professor McGonagall told me about it earlier tonight. The two best teams this year are clearly us and Hufflepuff. A 'winner take all' game has been proposed as the last game of the season…"

"Hermione, I won't play. I can't put you through that again…"

"Harry, if there's one team in Hogwarts that will play quidditch fairly then it's Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall also admitted Slytherin have been using tactics like that for years - since Snape became their Head of House. They would bully the opposition team into submission, using every dirty trick they could get away with. Quidditch in Hogwarts changed today - because of you."

She then explained that reasoning to her dumbfounded boyfriend. "Dumbledore stepped in and took action. Bole's parents were called to Hogwarts, shown that memory before leaving with their son. He's been expelled from Hogwarts. If you hadn't been playing, and if I didn't ask him to attend your games, Dumbledore probably wouldn't even have been at today's match - far less be properly motivated into taking action. I'll be fine watching you play Hufflepuff, we might even wangle another visit for my mum and dad out of it."

A surprised Harry could only kiss his wonderful intended for that. He had one last thing to ask though. "So, are we okay?"

"Since I'm currently in your bed and kissing you, I reckon that would be its own answer. Don't you think so?"

"Hey, told you I was clueless. I just had to be sure…"

Hermione kissing him again reassured Harry more than words ever would. His shoulder was still painfully throbbing but he now felt so much better.

Seeing that his two favourite people were now fine, Dobby got ready to leave. His alarm wards would give him enough warning if someone was approaching, and he needed to get Hermione back into her own bed. He also had elven wards around the Grangers that would alert him if he was needed there too. Dobby loved his family and was determined to take care of them. With all four of them currently safe though, that gave him a little time to pop over and see how Darla was doing. Dobby told himself it was to find out if Darla had any more news for him, but neither elf really believed that excuse any more.

-oOoOo-

Having been popped back to her own room before anyone found them in bed together, Hermione then got ready to face the day. Dobby had actually laid clothes out for Harry too, which she placed in her bag to take to the infirmary. Neville was up early as well and both swung by the infirmary to see how Harry was.

After giving Hermione a list of do's and don't's for her intended to follow, while Harry quickly got changed into the clothes he'd been brought, Madam Pomfrey then released him in time for breakfast. The three headed into the Great Hall and their entry was immediately noticed. Cedric Diggory was the first out of his seat and approaching them.

"Have you heard the Quidditch Cup proposal? Will you be able to play?"

"Yeah I heard, and was a bit surprised. Hufflepuff are undefeated this year, surely that wins you the cup?"

"The record books might say we're undefeated but that doesn't tell the whole story. Yes we beat Ravenclaw, fair and square. I fluked catching the snitch against you though and now we have a bye against Slytherin. Hufflepuff really wants to win the Quidditch Cup, but we're not so desperate that we would take it at any cost. We're the two best teams this year and no one will be able to dispute the house that wins this play-off will really have earned the Quidditch Cup."

They had now drawn quite a crowd around them, all clearly waiting to hear what Harry's answer would be. Hermione squeezed his good arm to reassure her intended she was fine with this.

"Cedric, I would shake on it but Madam Pomfrey doesn't want me doing anything with this shoulder for a day or two. I'm banned from writing until tomorrow but will be fine long before we have our rematch."

This actually started some cheering, with Ollie bouncing up and down like a delighted five year old who'd just been given a free pass to their favourite sweet shop. Since their quiddich obsessed captain knew his team now had a great shot at winning the cup, his excitement was at least understandable.

Even with her previous experience of this phenomenon, Hermione still struggled to understand just how important the sport of quidditch was inside Hogwarts. As she sat with Harry and Neville at the now excited Gryffindor table, she tried to make some sense of the reactions all around her.

Gryffindor and Hufflepuff houses were elated, and already looking forward to the match. The Ravenclaws had been beaten by both teams so therefore wouldn't expect to be involved in the fight for the cup. They too though would certainly be anticipating watching a match between the two best teams in Hogwarts this year.

Slytherin currently didn't have a quidditch team, and just had one of their house expelled - the first student expelled for fifty years. While visibly they had nothing to celebrate, there was the beginnings of a subtile shift in attitude amongst the students wearing the silver and green.

Professor Vector had wrought the changes and laid down her marker. She wanted a quidditch team that played the sport with skill and enthusiasm, not bruisers out to beat the opposition into submission. This opened the door for everyone in the house to try out for quidditch, with their Head of House promising it would be ability rather than influence that would win spots on the new team. Even though they would be hoping for a Hufflepuff victory in the play-off, they would still be looking forward to watching a good match.

The timing of the game was perfect too. Traditionally, the last match was just after everyone's exams finished. This match would take the already rearranged slot that would have seen Hufflepuff playing Slytherin.

Hermione was well aware the original schedule had Gryffindor playing Ravenclaw on that date. She was also the only one who knew that, in the original timeline, Gryffindor would have been forced to concede the match. This would be due to Harry lying unconscious in the infirmary after his confrontation with Quirrell/Voldemort. This was again going to be a pivotal event, though Hermione intended to ensure Harry would be fit enough to make the match this time around.

Before that however, they had these new lessons with Madam Longbottom to look forward to. There was also the problem of a rather large fire-breathing lizard about to be hatched in their friend's hut that would need to be dealt with. While Hermione really liked Harry's idea of letting someone else deal with Hagrid's baby dragon, she had eventually spotted a potential problem with that solution.

Talking it over with Harry, both had rather reluctantly come to the conclusion that his original idea could cause them unforeseen troubles. Should Dumbledore discover Hagrid had hatched a dragon's egg, the headmaster was bound to ask their large friend how he came to possess such a heavily regulated and restricted item. Within moments, Dumbledore would learn Voldemort had used the lure of a dragon's egg to garner the information he was missing. Namely, how to get past Fluffy.

Having that knowledge, it was debatable if Dumbledore would answer the false summons from the ministry when it arrived that first Thursday in June. Since Hermione and Harry had so much riding on that night, this was a chance they really couldn't take. If everything went to their plan, Dan and Emma Granger might have some special company sitting watching Harry play agains Hufflepuff.

The match might be a little too much and just a tad too soon for a certain Azkaban prisoner but simply having Sirius meet Harry, and her parents, would be enough for Hermione. Her Harry had never met his godfather, Sirius Black was currently just a name to him. Hermione had known the wizard though, she also knew Sirius loved Harry almost as much as she did. It had really hurt to leave Sirius in that hellhole even a day longer than they had to.

Like everything else in their lives though, they had to protect the fact that they had knowledge of the future. This was the earliest she and Harry could not only get Sirius out of Azkaban, they wanted him to officially have his freedom too. For that to happen, they needed circumstances to play out as they had so carefully planned. If that meant they had to deal with a heartbroken half giant and smuggling a baby dragon out of Hogwarts, so be it.

As she was eating her breakfast, Hermione started to smile. This wasn't so much in consideration of what they faced in the near future. It was more that, in all of those thoughts, she hadn't wasted a single moment worrying about the upcoming end of year exams. Although she had been working Harry hard, and was extremely confident both of them would breeze right through any first year test - her twelve year old self had already done so the first time around - for Hermione Granger not to be worrying about imminent exams was a really, really strange feeling.


	13. Wrong Place, Wrong Time

A/N some of my readers have sussed that Scotland's schools start their summer holidays this weekend. They were hoping this might see me returning to a weekly posting schedule. Alas, that's not going to happen. I'm not actually on holiday and my department is still a man down - therefore I'm just as busy. I've also noted my chapters have been getting progressively longer. I used to aim for my chapters to be around the 5k words length, but I'm averaging 7.5k words a chapter with 'Density'.

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 13**

It was three red faced teens who were certainly enjoying the refreshingly cool spring Scottish Highland air as they slowly made their way back to the castle. Their flushed appearance wasn't all due to the oppressive dragon-egg-hatching heat of the house they'd just left. An astonished and angry Neville summed it up best.

"I can't decide which is crazier. That Hagrid is trying to hatch a Norwegian Ridgeback egg in his hut, or he named the three-headed monster that I still have nightmares over 'Fluffy'. What the hell is Hagrid playing at? He could end up in Azkaban for either of those stunts."

It was one thing to hear stories of events that had happened, quite another to witness them for yourself. That Harry had just seen a real dragon's egg, and Hagrid promised to send word when it began to hatch, left the former veterinarian student in a state of bewildered bliss. It was down to Hermione to try and steady Neville's nerves - before he ran off to a professor and blurbed about everything.

"You heard Hagrid, it was Professor Dumbledore who asked to borrow 'Fluffy'..."

"I also heard Hagrid say music puts that three-headed monster right to sleep - something I'm quite prepared to take his word about. If I never see that thing again it will still be too soon. Do you know who this Flamel character is that Hagrid mentioned? He seems important, Hagrid certainly didn't mean to mention his name."

Pleased that Neville had picked up on that, Hermione gave him the information that proved so troublesome to unearth the last time around. She even cited one of the sources.

"Nicolas Flamel is a world famous alchemist, and a good friend of Professor Dumbledore. It mentions on the professor's chocolate frog card that they worked on discovering the twelve uses of dragon blood together. The reason he's so famous is because Flamel created the only known Philosopher's Stone in existence. By using it, he and his wife are reported to be over six hundred years old…"

It was almost funny for Hermione as she watched Neville join up the dots to reach a conclusion. "The Philosopher's Stone - that's what the three headed monster is guarding. Dumbledore must be looking after it for his friend. Who would be trying to steal it though?"

Instead of answering, Hermione just raised her eyebrow. This had Neville thinking of an answer for himself - and he didn't like where those thoughts were taking him.

It was into this pause in their conversation Harry suddenly declared, "I love Magic!"

That had both Hermione and Neville staring at him but Harry didn't care - he was far too excited. "Hey you two - we're going to get to witness a dragon being born. How cool is that?"

"Harry, that was the total opposite of cool. I was boiling in there."

"Muggle expression, Neville. It means really, really good. Hermione, my shoulder injury would have taken months to heal, followed by even more months of physiotherapy - and it would never have been the same again. One night in the infirmary and I'm healed, within a week it's as good as new. Think about it - they must have similar treatments for all these wonderful animals too…"

Neville couldn't help but chuckle at his best friend's enthusiasm. "One of the top students in our year and he wants to be Hagrid's apprentice…"

This gave Hermione the opening she was looking for to broach a rather delicate subject. "That's something I want to ask your Gran a few questions about on Sunday. I hope you don't mind, Neville?"

His chuckle just deepened. "Hermione, my Gran is a member of the Wizengamot. Trust me, she won't be bothered by a few questions from a first year. I'm gonna be there tomorrow morning too, just to see my Gran though."

-oOoOo-

Minerva entered Dumbledore's office to see her friend nursing a glass of firewhisky. She had no way of knowing this was Augusta's second, the first one Albus supplied having already been downed.

"Surely your lesson couldn't have gone that badly?"

"I would like to think my lesson went well. As we had discussed, Minerva, I started with the Ministry and Wizengamot. Explaining the roles they played in our lives. As I mentioned, things were going well - until I asked if anyone had any questions…"

There was an audible groan from Minerva, she had a good idea what would have happened next. "Miss Granger?"

"Oh she was very polite. I doubt I've ever been taken apart so cordially. Neville had of course told me that she and Harry were his best friends. He also mentioned they were very smart, that was no overestimation. Miss Granger asked me about the blood status of departmental heads within the ministry. I of course told the truth, that every one of them was a pureblood. She then asked the same question about the Wizengamot. As you both know, the answer was again all pureblood. She then asked how that could be, since the percentage of purebloods in the British magical population was reckoned to be at best twenty percent. What could I say?"

Taking a sip of her drink, the shocked witch continued to relay how her carefully prepared lesson had crumbled to dust under this line of questioning. "Miss Granger then explained that she and her parents had met the ministry's expert on muggles. While they all thought Arthur Weasley was a very nice man, they assessed his knowledge of the subject to be comparable to that of a four year old muggle child. That was their top estimate too."

"That is rather unfortunate…"

"What was unfortunate, Albus, is that Miss Granger was just getting into her stride. Hogwarts didn't escape unscathed either, that girl had really done her homework. She knew Muggle Studies in Hogwarts is taught by a pureblood. Having checked the text books allocated for that course, Miss Granger claims they are all about a century out of date. She also claimed that a century in muggle time would see far greater changes than the same period in the wizarding world. The girl then rhymed off important items and events that the course ignored. The only two people in that classroom who didn't know what she was talking about was me and my grandson."

Minerva and Albus were getting ready to join Augusta in a tipple, this could be bad. Madam Longbottom then proved it was much worse than they thought.

"I was then asked why it was felt necessary they learn wizarding culture, when that very same culture ignored or looked down on theirs. Why should they support a system where an elite class they could never hope to join would basically rule over all of them? Why should they stay in a country where their circumstances of birth, rather than their abilities, predetermined what they would be able to achieve?"

With a deep felt sadness, Augusta told them what had really hurt. "My Neville was desperately looking toward me to refute those arguments, I could see the disappointment in his eyes. There simply wasn't anything I could say to defend the status quo. Miss Granger was almost apologetic while asking if I now understood why she and her intended were looking at other options. Harry then chipped in and said he hoped today wouldn't see me stopping Neville accompanying them, if they decided on another option than Hogwarts, since he was their best friend."

Uttering a sigh of frustration, Augusta sat her glass down. The answers they needed weren't going to be found in the bottom of a glass. "They really are a lovely couple yet I can't help but think we're failing them. Miss Granger's question just highlighted a problem we all knew existed. Our society just passes the situation off as normal, because that is the way things have always been. It would seem though that the times are changing, with new witches and wizards questioning the system they are basically forced into accepting. If this continues and we don't react, our country could end up losing some of its brightest witches and wizards. Make no mistake, those two leaving Britain would be merely the beginning. It may start off as a trickle but that could soon turn into a flood, a flood I feel powerless to prevent."

It was now Albus' turn to sigh. "It took a lot of persuading to get those two returning to Hogwarts for this term. Since then, Miss Granger's home has been magically attacked by suspected death eaters while Mister Potter was deliberately seriously assaulted at the last quidditch match. They've just spent the morning hearing how much the Ministry of Magic will impact on their lives, only to figure out the top echelons is an exclusive club their heritage bars them from ever joining. To be honest, I've got nothing left to persuade them to return here come September."

"I remember having the customary fifth year careers talk with Lily Evans. She too was a brilliant witch who'd figured out her status as a muggle born would severely limit her opportunities should she choose to work in the ministry. In one sense, Lily was in a more fortunate position. Both Filius and Horace were trying to woo her to apprentice under them, with a view to eventually becoming a Hogwarts professor. I remember at the end of that meeting feeling I'd failed her, and we're still failing those very same children."

Knowing it would soon be time to have those same customary career talk with her current fifth year charges, and this news would spread to every student in the school, a still reminiscing Minerva was left shaking her head in disappointment. "We have children of pureblood descent who know they need do no better than acceptable on their exams, because their futures are already assured. How can we push our students to excel when it doesn't matter how many N.E.W.T.s some of them achieve, certain positions will always be out of their reach."

Silence reigned in the headmaster's office as all three of them thought about the situation. Minerva then had an idea on how to present Hogwarts in a better light to the young couple currently at the centre of this. "Albus, we now have a showcase final to decide the Quidditch Cup at the end of the year. Perhaps inviting the parents of those playing along to the match again might be a good idea?"

Knowing what Minerva was really suggesting, Albus thought that was an excellent idea. He really didn't have anything else to offer. He knew Harry and Hermione had their own agenda, and both were easily smart enough to be using him to push that agenda in the direction they wanted. Since Halloween though, this was something Albus had no other option but to blindly accept.

That blind acceptance however was tempered by two things. Miss Granger was someone he had obviously implicitly trusted in the past, otherwise she simply wouldn't be here now. The fact that she was here at all also told Albus all hope must have been lost in the future, there was no other way he would have even considered such a desperate measure. The second piece of information that helped Albus with these decisions was that they were undoubtably all on the same side - the side that wanted to see Voldemort fall.

He therefore had to take what Hermione was saying very seriously. The message here was crystal clear. A war had been fought, a war that brought heavy losses to their side, yet nothing had really changed. They were no better equipped to deal with the rise of a Dark Lord today than they were over a decade ago. That the conditions allowing a Dark lord to draw support from certain sections of their community still existed was actually shameful, and all three of them currently in his office knew that.

-oOoOo-

The twins were invited to sit by their friends, that Hermione then produced butterbeers for all of them raised a few eyebrows - impressed at how she'd gotten her hands on these.

"Okay, we'll bite."

"What do you need us for?"

Sampling his butterbeer, and liking it, Harry didn't keep them waiting any longer. "We're planning a prank that my father and his fellow Marauders could only dream of - and wondered if you wanted in. Actually, you two being in from the start is an essential part of the prank."

Hermione wanted to make something clear right from the beginning though. "The thing that's different about this prank however is, even although it's spectacular, only the five of us in this room can ever know about it. There is one other, but I don't want to mention his name just yet. You'll both know exactly who I'm talking about the second you hear what's actually involved."

"Mmm, we normally like people to know who pranked them."

"Yeah, just not be able to prove it was us. You're gonna have to define 'spectacular' before we commit to this."

Cutting straight to the chase, Harry laid it out for them. "Is smuggling a live dragon out of Hogwarts spectacular enough for you?"

Both twins looked around for the joke, seeing three serious faces staring back at them had Fred and George in fits of laughter.

"Oh Harrikins, you don't mess about."

"A bloody dragon?"

"Yes. You see we have this friend who's about to hatch a dragon's egg in his house. Never mind that house's construction contains a lot of flammable materials, he's determined to proceed. If something isn't done, we just can't see any way this will end in anything other than disaster."

Nodding in confirmation, Hermione was in full agreement with Harry. "We know you have a brother who works on a dragon reserve. Could you write and ask them if they would be interested in acquiring a baby Norwegian Ridgeback - free of charge of course. If they are, then we need to see about getting it out of Hogwarts without our friend ending up paying Azkaban a visit."

"Shit, Hagrid has really gone too far this time. He would certainly end up in Azkaban if the Ministry found out."

"Aw, you guessed!"

Fred smiled at the young witch's light sarcasm. "Just the word 'dragon' was enough to give the game away, we didn't need any of the other clues. We'll write to Charlie tonight."

"He and Hagrid are great friends. If Charlie can help, I'm sure he will."

The twins actually borrowed the map and Harry's invisibility cloak, intending to head up to the owlery with their yet to be written letter - regardless of curfew.

They had hardly left to begin their mission when Harry asked Neville a question. "You were very quiet tonight, mate. Are you angry about what was said to your Gran today?"

"No Harry. I'm more embarrassed than angry - embarrassed that everything said today was true. Hermione is smarter than both of us, it's not right that she's judged on the fact her parents are not magical."

Hermione came over and hugged Neville in thanks, before then nestling on Harry's lap. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Neville - and neither does your Gran. It's easy to see she's a good person and I felt terrible about today. She was giving up her time to teach us things we need to know yet I practically ambushed her. We needed to get that information out there however, information everyone else just conveniently ignores. What do you think my parents would have said to McGonagall if she'd told us about that part of wizarding society the day my family discovered I was a witch?"

"She lied?"

"She didn't lie, Neville, McGonagall just didn't tell us the whole truth. Saying to my mum and dad that, in the British magical community, I would be considered a second class citizen would have seen McGonagall swiftly chucked out of our house on her ear."

Having met Hermione's parents, Neville couldn't disagree with that. Harry explained their predicament in more detail.

"This is not about 'our society is better than yours' - far from it. Hogwarts was built over a thousand years ago to teach all the young witches and wizards of Britain about magic. In our society, it only became law that all children must attend school about a hundred and twenty years ago. We looked at Hogwarts' Muggle Studies course and reckoned it's about a century out of date. The real problem is how far our society has progressed in that time. In technological terms, we've progressed from steam engines to rockets that can and have landed men on the moon. In cultural terms, our society has moved just as far. You will now have muggle born witches and wizards arriving at Hogwarts who won't stand for the bigotry they find here. The Ministry and Hogwarts has to realise that ignoring this problem is not the answer. It's not going to go away, rather the new witches and wizards will. We certainly don't expect things to change overnight, but there has to be some signs that they are at least willing to consider changes."

While agreeing with everything Harry had just said, Hermione then looked at the other side of the coin. "There are people at the Ministry though who think that most of the muggle borns leaving Britain is a good thing. They don't want to see their culture 'tainted' by our dirty blood. The more extreme amongst them actually think I stole my magic from a pureblood, and that's their bigoted explanation for how squibs are produced."

This shocked Neville so much he was up on his feet. "That's bloody ridiculous…"

A big smile from Hermione told Neville they shared his view. "They have no scientific basis for that belief, no facts to supported it, but that doesn't stop them spouting it. The trouble starts when no one challenges that belief. Then people start assuming it's fact. We hope your Gran's back here next week, today was stuff we needed to know. We may have some more questions for her but she is also welcome to ask us questions too. If it's something we don't know, we can certainly find the information for her. We didn't realise your Gran was making a political statement with her ball, holding it the same night as the Malfoys. If she's holding one next year, and we're lucky enough to be invited, Harry and I will certainly be there."

Hearing that really cheered Neville up. He would need to write and let his Gran know most of this. Harry then came at the matter from another angle.

"What happened today will be all over the school by now. Fifth year muggle borns need to sit with their Heads of House and seriously discuss their career options. For some, they might actually be better leaving after their O.W.L.s and returning to muggle education. There's not much point spending another two years at Hogwarts sitting N.E.W.T.s if the career you want to pursue is already denied you. Yes you might gain a position as an auror. The truth is though that you would then spend the rest of your career watching people getting promoted over you, and not because of their ability. That would simply be unacceptable to most of us, which is why they needed that information now."

Hermione found herself snuggling into Harry as she raised the last point of the evening, it was almost time for bed. "Your Gran is spending her time helping us learn about your culture and society. How would you like to spend some of the summer staying with us? We can then spend time showing you some of our culture."

All three knew this was something else that would need to be added to the long letter Neville was going to be writing home. All three of them also understood Neville was really keen to spend some of the summer with his friends.

-oOoOo-

Minerva was anxiously awaiting to hear from her friend about how Augusta's second lesson had gone. When the clock confirmed Augusta's lesson should have finished fifteen minutes ago, Minerva could wait no longer. Quietly slipping into the back of the class, she found a lively yet polite discussion going on.

The Hogwarts Deputy couldn't help but notice there were actually more students at this week's lesson than there were for the first. That these extra numbers had come from those of different blood status originally surprised Minerva, until she listened into the discussion. Here was a forum where their differences could be aired in a non judgmental format, everyone - including Augusta - was learning here.

That the only first year from her own house who hadn't attended was Ronald Wesley didn't surprise Minerva. Extra lessons was not something that would ever appeal to the youngest Weasley. Both Miss Patel and Miss Brown obviously thought they were missing out on something. Knowing those girls, that would never do.

Augusta was so engrossed in what she was doing, it took her a while before she noticed Minerva had entered the classroom. A quick check of her watch told her why Minerva was here. "Oh dear, we seem to have run way over time. Thank you so much for coming along and I hope to see you next week. Mister Potter, Miss Granger and Mister Longbottom, could you remain behind for a moment?"

It was a happy class who headed out, today had been fun.

Augusta immediately put her grandson and his friends at ease. "I wanted to talk with you concerning Neville spending some time with his friends over the summer. This is something I'm certainly in favour of. Some of the very interesting discussions we had in class today just reinforced that decision. It's a great big world out there and this can only help Neville prepare to face it. One thing I would like though was for you two to spend some time at Longbottom Manor with Neville and I."

With a wide smile, Harry and Hermione instantly agreed with that. "My mum and dad are coming to see the final quidditch match, we could get everything sorted out then. It should be just a matter of settling on dates that suit everyone."

Seeing her friend appeared a lot happier than she did this time last week, Minerva decided to help out here. "Augusta, as a member of the School Board, you will of course be receiving an invitation to the match too. That would give you a chance to sit down with everyone involved and talk over any arrangements needing to be made."

Seeing how happy that suggestion made the trio standing in front of her, Augusta quickly agreed. She was shocked when Neville actually hugged her, before the three friends left. Both Minerva and Augusta could hear summer plans being discussed as they left the classroom on their way to a late Sunday lunch.

"I don't need to ask how it went this week, I saw for myself…"

"No you didn't. You only caught the end, Minerva - the lesson turned out to be a revelation for all of us. I was covering formal courtships, betrothals, and the need for them. Did you know Mister Potter publicly claimed Miss Granger was his intended before asking her parents - or even the girl herself?"

"Augusta, I was there when he did it. At Severus' trial, his litigator was casting aspersions on Miss Granger's suitability to be Mister Potter's girlfriend - based solely on her blood status. Harry was on his feet and ready to attack the fool, I thought Albus or I were going to be forced to intervene. He then cut the legs from under the litigator by claiming Hermione was his intended. An angry Harry next took the stand and said something that terrified Severus - forcing him to plead guilty when he clearly didn't want to."

Anticipating her friend's next question, Minerva just gave Augusta the only answer she had. "Only Albus knows what Harry was referring to, and he's not in the habit of spilling secrets. He did say though that, had Severus not changed his plea and Harry carried out his threat, our former potions professor could have had a date with a dementor. Not one person in the chamber, including Severus, doubted Harry's willingness to carry out his threat. He'd already attacked a troll with his bare hands to protect that girl, he wasn't going to back down that day either."

"Harry said he was really nervous asking Hermione's parents' permission before placing the Potter ring on her finger. Albus apparently took both of them to Diagon Alley and allowed them to buy a few books explaining the procedure. I must say, it is the only time I've saw Harry acting his age. Both he and Hermione appear more mature than their years. I thought it was their muggle upbringing, my Neville is certainly benefiting from being in their company as much. I see signs of him growing into the wizard I always knew was in there."

"It really is a shame. Those two don't really want to leave Hogwarts - and we certainly would like them to stay. The Grangers are lovely people who've already spent a weekend in Hogwarts, and are looking forward to returning. It's only circumstances that are forcing their hands to look for alternatives."

This had Augusta sighing in frustration. "We both know Cornelius and Albus certainly don't want to see them going elsewhere. Have things really gotten so bad when all of us combined can't provide the conditions necessary for them to stay? After seeing how well my Neville gets on with both of them, I really couldn't object if he wanted to attend another school with his friends. That would really send out a powerful message, and also mean I would need to resign my position from the Hogwarts School Board. We must be able to do something to help?"

With that, Harry and Hermione were assured of another powerful player to their cause of changes in magical Britain.

-oOoOo-

The short note the owl had delivered from Hagrid saw the three of them quickly making their way to their large friend's hut. The difference in attitude between the two boys was so startling as to almost be funny. Neville seemed to be flitting between anxiety and trepidation. He was a Gryffindor though and determined to be there for his friends. Harry on the other hand was pure excitement. Watching him sitting there staring at the cracking egg reminded Hermione of a scene from Jurassic Park. Harry however didn't need to act, watching a real life dragon being born was almost a religious experience for her betrothed. Knowing that movie was at least a year away from hitting the cinemas, she made a mental note to take both Harry and Neville to see it.

As the newly hatched and named 'Norbert' singed his 'mummy's' beard, Hermione felt her arm being gripped tightly.

"We need to get that thing out of here as quickly as possible. At least before Harry becomes as attached to it as Hagrid already is."

This had Hermione giggling, until she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She'd forgotten about that little shit Malfoy looking through the window. He took great delight in getting them into trouble the last time, before McGonagall wiped the smile of his pasty face. Hermione would like to launch him off Hogwarts tallest tower, without Draco having a broom under him. This was just something else she would have to factor into their plans.

"Relax Neville. Let them enjoy the little time they have with the dragon. Until we get word from the twins there is not much we can do. Trust me, if things get out of hand I'll be heading straight for Dumbledore's office."

This calmed Neville somewhat, though both he and Hermione thought they would need crowbars to get Harry away from the dragon and back into the castle.

Even in bed that night, he seemed far to excited to sleep. A now tired and exasperated Hermione was getting ready to snap at him when Harry inadvertently saved the situation.

"We witnessed a dragon being born, I still can't get over it. Won't that be something to tell our children?"

This led to a kiss from Hermione, and a gentle warning. "Harry, if you don't get to sleep soon, our children might never see their father. I'm likely to strangle him."

A smiling Harry snuggled in. "I can't help it, love. Next to meeting you, that's probably the most exiting thing that I've ever seen."

After a quiet giggle that Harry felt rather than heard, Hermione had one last quip for him. "Nice to know I'm in there somewhere. Now, let's get to sleep."

-oOoOo-

Just like last time, Hagrid would have Norbert for about two weeks before Charlie and his friends would be arriving to take the baby dragon away. Harry spent as much time as possible down at the hut but even he could see Hagrid's baby was becoming very dangerous to be around. Hermione had explained how devastated Hagrid had been the last time and they had come up with a plan to help prevent that. A weeping half giant was no fun to be around.

They were sitting out front of Hagrid's hut when Harry made his opening gambit. "I'm really going to miss him, Hagrid, but we always have to do what's best for Norbert."

An emotionally choked Hagrid couldn't really answer Harry, other than to nod in agreement. It was easy to see the tears escaping from the corner of his eyes, now was the time to put there plan into operation.

"I've grown fond of Norbert, and I don't know this Charlie Weasley..."

Hagrid was about to sing Charlie's praises but Harry held his hand up. "I do know you, and if you tell me Norbert is happy and being looked after then I know we'll have done the right thing. Could you do this for me, Hagrid?"

It was clear he didn't have a clue what he was being asked, which was exactly what they had planned. "What are yeh talkin' about, 'Arry?"

Deliberately drawing this out, Harry started to ramble. "Hermione and I are going to be busy all summer, otherwise I wouldn't be asking. I know it's a bit much, but there really isn't anyone else we could ask to do this. Will you help us?"

"'Arry, I can' help if I don' know what yer asking..."

"Oh, sorry Hagrid. We want you to visit Norbert over the summer. If you say he's fine, we'll know he's really okay. It would certainly put our minds at rest."

Hermione then joined in to double team Hagrid. "Please say you will. We've already received permission from the dragon reserve for you to visit, and arranged a portkey to Romania..."

After hearing that, the tears that had been threatening made an appearance. Hagrid had both of them engulfed in a hug as those fat tears flowed into his vast beard.

While he still had some breath left, Harry managed to squeak out a question. "So, does that mean you'll go?"

"Course I will, an' thank yeh so much fer thinkin' o' me. Wait until I tell Norbert!" With that, Hagrid released them and shot back into his hut to waken the sleeping dragon. Harry and Hermione got out of there fast. A half giant's hugs were almost as dangerous as a grumpy baby dragon - almost.

-oOoOo-

Minerva securely tied the dressing gown around her before answering the incessant knocking at her door. Seeing their excited caretaker standing there with a stupid grin on his face pre-warned the Deputy Headmistress that this was not good news.

"Yes, Argus. How can I help you?"

He was actually hopping from foot to foot, unable to contain his excitement. "Student out of bed, Professor."

Raising her right eyebrow, Minerva pinned the man with her gaze. "You got me out of my bed for that?"

"Begging your pardon, Professor. I was unable to do anything to or with the student. The situation requires another member of staff."

Knowing what Argus was implying, she nodded for him to lead the way. The man would never actually say that the situation he found needed someone who could perform magic to resolve it. He led her unerringly to a sight that had Minerva wishing she was still tucked up in bed.

"Argus. Surely you could have done something to help this poor child?"

"To even reach him I would have needed to fetch a ladder. I thought he would get down quicker if I came for you. He may be silenced but it wasn't difficult to work out what he was trying to say, and it wasn't good evening Mister Filtch."

She couldn't argue with Argus on that matter. The boy was trying to shout while gesticulating wildly that they should help him. Minerva took out her wand and conjured a pair of shorts. Draco Malfoy hanging upside down in a corridor was bad enough, a naked Draco Malfoy was not something Minerva wished to look upon a moment longer than she had to.

With the boy at least now decent, she used her wand to release Draco from the spell that kept him suspended before controlling his descent. "Mister Malfoy, I am about to lift the silencing charm. I would remind you what time it is and strongly advise you not to shout. Do you understand?"

A livid Draco appeared as if he wanted to shout his lungs out about the latest injustices heaped upon his person, but knew he needed McGonagall to lift the charm. He nodded his understanding and compliance.

After lifting the charm, Minerva issued precise instructions to the Slytherin. "Now, I would like you to calmly tell me exactly what happened here."

Taking a deep, calming breath, Draco began his tale. "I was following Potter, his mudblood and their squib when I was attacked from behind..."

Noting the boy's language for later, Minerva was more interested in establishing some details at the moment. "Can you tell me approximately what time this attack took place?"

"Oh, between eleven fifteen and eleven thirty. They were making their way down to the gamekeeper's hut. That imbecilic oaf, Hagrid, has hatched a dragon in his hovel. You just know Saint Potter would try and help..."

Interrupting his rant, Minerva again wanted facts. "Did you see who attacked you?"

Unhappy at being interrupted while he was venting his spleen on Potter, Draco was rather abrupt with his answer. "No. I told you, the cowards attacked me from behind. I woke up like you found me. How long was I left dangling there? You need to be quick or they'll get away with it - again. Instead of asking me all these stupid questions you should be checking up on them. Is that why you're still here? You don't want to catch your perfect Potter breaking the rules..."

"Ah yes, breaking the rules. The guilty really should be punished..."

"About bloody time..."

With Draco's last remark, Minerva's final remaining thread of patience with the boy snapped. "That will be thirty points from Slytherin for your disgusting use of language. Another twenty points for disrespecting a professor, namely me. I'm also taking fifty points for being out in the corridors past curfew..."

It had taken a moment for what was happening here to sink in, Draco finally got it though. "I was the one attacked yet your punishing me? Are you mental?"

"I can assure you, Mister Malfoy, I am in full control of my faculties. You yourself admitted you were out well past curfew..."

"I was following Potter and his..." The look from McGonagall meant the word mudbllood didn't pass his lips.

"So you claim, Mister Malfoy. I am just about to investigate those claims but it still doesn't excuse your own rule breaking. Mister Filtch, could you please take this student to my office? We shall discuss this situation further when I get there." Without looking back, Minerva strode away. She was trying to ignore Filtch's taunting of the boy regarding how he would like to punish him.

It was Harry who answered the door to their Head of House, supposedly rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Professor McGonagall? What's the...Dan and Emma? Has something happened?"

"My mum and dad..."

As Minerva entered, she soon caught sight of a now worried Hermione bursting into their common room while trying to pull her housecoat over her pyjamas.

"Your parents are fine. Every one is fine, and I'm really sorry for disturbing you." They were then joined by a sleepy Neville as Minerva was forced to tell them why she was here.

"I just found Mister Malfoy, dangling naked from a corridor ceiling..."

Hermione couldn't help it, she just burst out laughing at hearing that. Neville and Harry soon joined her. "Oh Professor, you could have made a fortune if you'd taken a picture of that."

"I'm glad you think it's funny, Mister Potter. Mister Malfoy claims you were involved."

"Naw, I would have had photographs of that all over the castle by breakfast time. It would almost have been worth whatever punishment you would give me. Professor, Draco blamed me for his father getting kicked off the Hogwarts School Board. You know I wasn't involved in that either. In Draco's world, Harry Potter is to blame for everything that goes wrong in his life."

Wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes, Hermione tried to be serious. "Professor, you must have noticed Draco isn't exactly one of out friends. I couldn't say for certain when the last time we saw him was. What I can swear to is that I have never, and have no wish to ever, see him naked. You have our sympathies for having to suffer that."

"Yuk! Professor, you must know that goes doubly for Neville and I."

All three once more broke into giggles, with even McGonagall's severe expression softening somewhat.

"I didn't think you three would be involved, but I had to check. I'm left wondering if the boy was also hit with a confundus spell too. You three, Hagrid and a dragon - you couldn't make a story like that up."

When Hermione again started giggling, the two boys laughed along too. McGonagall was soon bidding the happy trio a goodnight. She still had another student to deal with.

As McGonagall closed the door behind her, Harry held his finger in front of his lips for silence. Pulling out the map, it wasn't until they saw the footsteps with McGonagall's name beside them leave Gryffindor that they all relaxed.

"I can't believe we pulled it off..."

"Hey Nev, Hermione planned it. I have to say though slipping Norbert that meat soaked in sleeping potion was sheer genius - certainly more effective than Hagrid putting a teddy bear in. That crate would have been a bloody nightmare to deal with otherwise. Norbert was getting to be a right handful."

"If that was genius, what was asking the twins to head off Malfoy?" Neville didn't even try to hide the admiration in his voice. "Hermione, that was inspired. Did you know what they would do to him?"

Hermione could only shake her head, opening her mouth just released the laughter she was trying to hold back. All three sat there giggling. Just a glance at each other was enough to set them off again.

This had been one of the worse nights of first year for Hermione in the original timeline. McGonagall had ripped into them, then removed so many house points that the rest of Gryffindor wouldn't speak to them. Sitting here snuggling into Harry while all three of them kept getting attacks of the giggles was a vast improvement on the first time around.

-oOoOo-

With the Slytherin quiditch team disbanded, they were obviously out of this year's Quidditch Cup. That Draco had thrown a tantrum in McGonagall's office, after hearing all three of the people he'd accused were safely tucked up in bed, saw him exceed the Hogwarts 'most points docked in a single incident' record.

That the one hundred and eighty points he'd lost took Slytherin out of the running for the House Cup too meant the Malfoy heir became the lowest of the low in the house of the snakes.

That Malfoy shot across the Great Hall, intercepting a certain three Gryffindors before they could even sit down to breakfast, surprised no one. Certainly not the two heads of house who were closely monitoring the situation.

"Potter, I know you were involved in last night..."

"Malfoy, my intended was ready to swear to Professor McGonagall that she'd never even wished to see you naked, far less was involved in you being found dangling from a corridor ceiling in your birthday suit. Unlike the two boys who follow you everywhere, Neville and I have absolutely no interest in seeing you dangling naked either."

This started off waves of laughter that spread through the hall. There were even people sitting at the Slytherin table who were having a good laugh at Malfoy's expense.

"Now, little dragon, some of us would like to eat breakfast. The mere thought of you dangling there though means none of us will be eating sausages today..."

The laughter this time was even louder and an impotent Draco was helpless to stop the three who just basically ignored him and sat down to breakfast. With returning to the Slytherin table not an attractive option, Draco left.

Fred and George Weasley making a point to shake all three of their hands had the rest of Gryffindor practically cheering. They may not believe an actual dragon was involved but they could guess who was behind Malfoy's humiliation. Ron Weasley just sat and starred daggers at the trio.

Sitting eating his breakfast, Albus couldn't miss overhearing the news that Hagrid was telling everyone. He was going to be holidaying at a dragon reserve this summer, and Harry had arranged it.

Also putting together the clues, Albus was able to construct some idea of what had happened last night. He knew his large friend would jump at the chance of owning a dragon's egg. Albus was actually delighted Harry and Hermione not only cared enough about Hagrid to help him out of a bind, to then arrange this holiday was really thoughtful.

Seeing Harry looking toward the staff table, Albus raised his cup of tea in a salute to a job well done. He saw Hermione lean in and whisper something to her intended. Albus had no way of knowing it was about him. Hermione was saying to Harry she hoped Dumbledore reacted as well to their next plan.

Also sitting at the staff table, Quirrell/Voldemort thought it was about time he initiated a plan of their own.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione were sitting on their sofa, intently studying the marauder's map. Neville had been spending more and more of his time with Lavender and Parvati lately so was currently down in the common room while they secretly kept watch for Dumbledore leaving the castle.

With a sigh, Hermione knew it was now showtime. "Dumbledore's right on schedule, exactly the same as last time. This time though I think we have a much better plan."

Kissing a nervous Hermione, Harry rose to put that plan into action. "Relax love, it's a good plan. I especially like the part where we don't have to leave our rooms. Well girl, you up for a flight to London?"

Proudly pushing out her chest, Hedwig indicated she was ready for anything.

"Take this to Madam Bones, no one else..." Harry found himself being hit with a wing for even suggesting Hedwig would give a letter to the wrong person.

"I know girl, just be quick - and safe." A playful nip of his finger and the magnificent snowy owl was heading out the open window on her way to London.

Hermione had been adamant that going to McGonagall wouldn't help them any. Harry Potter sending a letter to Madam Bones, Hedwig delivering it adding authenticity to the sender's identity, should get some action. Since the letter basically said that Voldemort was in the castle, placing all of the students in deadly danger, Amelia Bones should come running. That she would undoubtably bring every auror she could get her hands on should take care of the Quirrell/Voldemort problem.

Hermione's plan had their only involvement being using the map to monitor the situation from the safety of their rooms. Both though had underestimated the tension involved in sitting there and just waiting for things to happen. They barely noticed Neville as he came in and wished them good night. They certainly didn't miss their target making his way to the forbidden third floor corridor.

It was something else they saw on the map about ten minutes later that had them really worried. "That stupid fucking arse! I swear what happened to Malfoy will seem like a picnic compared to what I'll do to them if they bollox this up."

When the last shred of doubt about their intended destination disappeared, Harry let go with a string of expletives that was so loud and long, Neville reappeared to see if there was anything wrong.

"Nev, we have an emergency here. Come with us and we'll explain everything." At that, Harry and Hermione shot out the door. Knowing Harry would never use the word 'emergency' unless it really was one, Neville was hot on their heels.

The three of them reached the common room and found a body-bound Parvati lying on the floor. Hermione soon had her released from the spell and Parvati couldn't wait to tell them what happened. In her own conversational style though.

"Oh thanks, Hermione. That bloody Dean cursed me in the back. I tried to talk them out of it, threatened to go to McGonagall - that's when I was cursed..."

"Parvati, we just need the facts - but we need them now."

"Okay, Harry. Ron thinks the thing on the third floor is a test of a student's bravery. He's convinced the rest of them they need to do this to get back into Gryffindor. When Neville let slip he knew how to get past this giant three-headed dog, Lavender couldn't wait to tell Ron that bit of gossip. The minute he heard about music putting it to sleep, there was no stopping him - or the rest of them."

Harry so wanted to curse up a storm but they didn't have time at the moment. "Neville, you take Parvati and get to McGonagall..."

"Not Dumbledore?"

"He's not in the castle, Nev. Voldemort is though, and he's just gone after the stone. Ron has no idea what he's leading the rest of them into. Tell McGonagall we've already contacted the D.M.L.E. - and they're hopefully on their way. Ron's a fucking idiot, but we can't let him blunder into this. Hermione and I are going after them. With a bit of luck, we should be able to drag them out of there without any of us having to face Voldemort."

Looking to Hermione for agreement, his intended just nodded. The Harry Potter she knew could never sit back and let people blunder into danger. Knowing what they would have to face down there, Harry then needfully kissed Hermione for luck before both of them raced out of Gryffindor.

Neville thought that exit looked so bloody 'cool'. The very idea that Voldemort might be in the castle terrified Neville too. He then took a page out of Harry Potter's book, Neville kissed a startled Parvati before dragging her in the direction of McGonagall's office. For once, Parvati was left with nothing to say. What she was thinking though as Neville held her hand while running through the corridors was that her best friend had chosen to follow the wrong wizard - again.


	14. How Not to Solve the Tasks

A/N I'm away on holiday next week, hence why this chapter is early. There's another reason though that certainly helped inspire the author in me to type faster. I'm going down to London at the end of this month with the sole purpose of visiting the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour and can't wait... That's the genius of Jo Rowling, she can make someone who is definitely old enough to know better feel like a seven year old on Christmas Eve.

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 14 - How Not to Solve the Tasks**

Minerva was ready to lose her temper at two of her first years. "You're not even supposed to know about the stone, and you-know-who is gone. There are also other safeguards protecting the stone..."

Having been given a simple task, Neville was not about to fail his best friends. It was actually his temper that snapped first. So much so, he didn't even realise he was saying the Dark Lord's name. "Ron and the others don't know anything about Voldemort, or any of these other safeguards. All they know is how to get past Fluffy. If the rest of these safeguards are as dangerous as that three-headed monster then they won't have to worry about Voldemort. Unless Harry and Hermione can get to them first, they're all going to be dead anyway!"

Parvati was now crying while their Head of House tried to find fault in a pyjama clad first year's logic. A cold shiver ran down her spine when Minerva discovered she couldn't. She only knew her own contribution to the stone's protection, not anyone else's. It dawned on the Hogwarts' Deputy that, the claims of you-know-who' return aside, six of her Gryffindor first years were currently facing deadly danger. This was the exact moment her floo activated, a very familiar head appearing in the flames.

"Minerva, I see you're still up..."

"Amelia? Why are you calling at this time of night?"

"I received a note from Harry Potter, he claims Voldemort is in Hogwarts."

"We both know he's gone..."

"So, Dumbledore didn't set a trap on the third floor - using the Philosopher's Stone as bait?"

Minerva had no answer for that, but Neville did.

"Madam Bones, Harry has an old map of his father's that shows everyone inside Hogwarts. If Harry says he's here, you can bank on it."

Parvati was sobbing now as she pleaded for help. "Some of our friends have gone down there too - they're all going to die..."

Minerva explained that outburst to the Head of the D.M.L.E. "Despite being warned to stay away, some of my first years have stumbled into this situation. I was just about to raise some of the senior staff and head there."

"Minerva, my department have received a call for help, this is now a matter for the D.M.L.E. By all means call your senior staff. Myself and as many aurors as I can get my hands on will be flooing into your office in about five minutes. I'll want to know just what traps we'll face while investigating this matter."

Minerva could only nod in agreement but Neville had one more thing to say. "Madam Bones, Harry must have spotted the rest of them heading off to the third floor on his map. He and Hermione have gone after them."

With a determined nod as an answer, Amelia's features hardened. "Five minutes, Minerva. We can be briefed as we head toward this corridor. Time is of the essence here."

-oOoOo-

As they approached the door leading to Fluffy, Hermione took the shrunken music box Dumbledore had given them from her pocket and resized it.

"You just happened to have that on you?"

After opening the lid to start the music playing, Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Better to have it ready and not need it than to be left trying to sing a lullaby to a slobbering monster with three heads."

Once they entered the room itself, Harry agreed wholeheartedly with his intended. His voice was barely above a whisper, waking Fluffy would be a really bad idea. "Shit, no wonder Neville is terrified of this. Hagrid really has a serious monster complex, doesn't he."

"Hey, wait until you meet Aragog. A carnivorous spider about the size of a truck you told me. I thankfully never met the creature, and hope not to this time around either."

Sitting the playing music box down on the floor, hopefully to provide safe passage for the aurors too, both edged carefully around the sleeping beast before jumping through the hatch in the floor.

There was barely enough Devil's Snare left to halt their fall. They kept perfectly still while surveying the damage. "Must have been Seamus. He sets fire to things without even trying. It's amazing to see what damage he can cause when he actually means to set something alight."

Harry was soon proven right. As they dropped to the floor, Seamus was lying in a corner of the room. He'd not only roasted the Devil's Snare but himself as well. His robes were scorched and charred, his hair severely singed but his hands seemed to have taken the brunt of the damage. They were red, blistered and some of his fingers had skin missing. His right foot was also at such an angle that his ankle simply had to be broken. It appeared the other three had left him here and simply pushed on ahead.

He was shaking like a leaf and didn't seem to know they were there. Harry knew at once what the problem was. "Hermione, he's going into shock. What can we do?"

Knowing they simply had to help, Hermione was working out excuses for explaining the spells she was about to cast. "I watched Madam Pomfrey treat you on the quidditch pitch." A numbing charm was soon followed by vanishing the bones in his ankle.

"He'll need to have those burns treated in the infirmary but I can at least numb the pain for now." She again cast the numbing charm on each of his hands. Harry removed his robe, intending to cover the shivering boy but Hermione transfigured that robe into a warm blanket.

The lessening of pain and the comforting heat from the blanket saw Seamus begin to take notice of his surroundings, and who was helping him. "Harry, Hermione, what are you doing here? Ron will be raging if you get to the prize first."

"Seamus, Ron's a fucking idiot - and there is no prize. We've sent for the aurors and they should be here soon. Hermione and I need to try and catch these idiots, before Ron gets one of you killed. You hang in there and try to stay awake."

"I'm so tired..."

"You need to stay awake. Recite poetry or something..."

They left the room to the strains of 'a hundred green bottles hanging on the wall' assaulting their ears as it was tunelessly being sung in Seamus' thick Irish accent. While the terrible singing faded, it was soon replaced by the noise generated from hundreds of flying keys flapping their metallic wings. The particular key needed to open the door wasn't having a very good night. It had now been captured twice and both its delicate wings were showing signs of damage. It couldn't really gain much height or speed so was relying more on stealth. Unfortunately, it was now faced with one of the best seekers ever to grace Hogwarts.

Harry didn't even need to use one of the supplied brooms. The key was barely six feet off the ground. With a running jump, he was able to pluck it out of the air and stick it in the lock for the third time tonight.

They hurried along and soon came upon McGonagall's chess set - or what was left of it. There were bits of chessmen scattered everywhere, setting the scene of an epic battle. A casualty of that battle was lying in the middle of the chess board, preventing the game from resetting.

Hermione ran her wand along an unconscious Dean Thomas as Harry struggled with something.

"You told me that last time, Ron sacrificed himself so we could go on. What is so different this time?"

"Everything's different, Harry. Ron doesn't know anything about the stone, or that Voldemort's after it. Last time he did. We all also knew only one person had ever stopped Voldemort, you really had to go on. This time he's sure there is some sort of prize or treasure involved. In Ron's mind, that will wipe the slate for this year clean. He'll be the Gryffindor hero, Ron will want that - badly. Badly enough to ignore all the warnings and even get people injured. Dean has concussion, not much we can do for him."

Harry transfigured some of the rubble into a pillow and a blanket. They made Dean comfortable before continuing. Knowing what was in the next room, Hermione was tempted to cast a bubble head charm on each of them before entering. That charm though was way beyond the capabilities of a normal first year and there was a chance of being caught. They would have to make do with holding their breath, and of course their noses.

Opening the door to escape the smelly troll saw them facing an unexpected problem. Fortunately it was one Hermione recognised. "They're trapped in the potions room."

The overpowering smell of their current location saw them retreating back to the chess set to discuss this latest challenge. "When I left you in that room, the purple flames disappeared. Instead, I was left facing that shimmering silver curtain we both saw. I stood there until the curtain disappeared, showing me the empty room because you had gone through the black flames."

"So, if Ron and Lavender are trapped in there, we sit here and wait for the cavalry?" After thinking that suggestion over, the grimace on Hermione's face told Harry she didn't like it.

"Two things wrong with that, love. Voldemort might get fed up staring at the mirror, he would then walk right into them."

Seeing that as a distinct possibility, Harry asked what the other reason was.

"I think Ron's too stubborn to admit he's beaten. I think he'll do something really stupid..."

"Stupider than coming down here in the first place? He'd be hard pushed to beat that."

"It's Ron we're talking about here, he has a natural talent for it."

Not being able to argue with any of that, Harry came to the obvious conclusion. "So, we go on. Will we get burned entering the room?"

"I think it will let us enter, it's designed to stop anyone leaving. I'm going to cast the flame freezing charm on it - just to be extra sure."

With their plan made, and no time to waste, they headed back in and past the troll. Hermione was glad she could silently cast, it saved her having to open her mouth - or let go of her nose. They gained entrance to the potions room where a sobbing Lavender was lying curled up on the floor. Harry knelt down to see if she was alright while Hermione checked whether the puzzle was still the same.

A distraught Lavender grabbed Harry and held on like a limpet. "He left me here. I can't believe he left me here."

"I can't believe he solved the puzzle..."

Still holding onto Harry, Lavender provided information that shocked both of them. "He didn't, Hermione. Ron kept shuffling the bottles about, trying to work it out. He then decided the ones that were supposed to be poison must surely be just a bluff. He said Dumbledore would never allow anyone to be poisoned for a test. Ron began drinking from different flasks until one made him feel cold. He then said there wasn't enough potion for two and just bloody left me here."

Trying to get her head around this, Hermione figured out just how much trouble they were in. "Harry, Ron's mixed up all the bottles. I just don't know which is which. While we both know Dumbledore wouldn't use poison, Snape certainly would. I don't know which flasks Ron drank from either, but the chances are the clock's already ticking."

Getting Lavender to her feet, and releasing her arms from around him, Harry then put forward the decision they were now faced with. "So, do we go back and leave the prat - or forward and try to save him?"

It was Hermione's arms which now snaked around him. "You're a great wizard, Harry. You know what you have to do." A gentle kiss followed before Harry reached his decision.

-oOoOo-

Amelia and a dozen aurors flooed into the Deputy Headmistresses office, to find an argument already under way. Amelia was even more shocked to discover it was Augusta's grandson who was standing up to his Head of House. She had to admit, Neville made a good point.

"If we're not safe with you and the aurors, we won't be safe anywhere else in the castle. I can't go back and just sit there, knowing what my friends are facing..."

"Minerva, we need to move - now. You two, stay at the back and out of trouble..."

"I'm charged with these children's safety..."

"...and what about the children who are already down there? Move Minerva."

Amelia left no one in any doubt who was in charge here. Minerva may not like it but Amelia had a job to do - and children's lives were on the line. Getting briefed on what they would face as they headed for the third floor, Minerva's hurt feelings became less and less of an issue for the enraged head of law enforcement. Seeing the first guardian had her ready to explode, she just didn't want to wake the beast.

Amelia was about to order the children to remain outside this door when she caught sight of them jumping down the hatch.

Neville had seen Fluffy before, and awake too, he didn't stand and stare. He had also heard the next trap was Devil's Snare and knew exactly how to deal with that. Taking Parvati's hand, they jumped in and were soon caught by the Devil's Snare.

Holding Neville's hand gave Parvati the confidence to relax and not struggle as the plant tightened its grip. As she'd been assured, they soon slipped through and dropped to the ground. Parvati wasn't sure what to expect but someone sitting singing never entered her mind.

"Thirty eight green bottles, hanging on the... Neville? What are you doing here? Parvati, you too? You were so right to stay behind."

At that, Professor Sprout dropped to the floor. "Mister Longbottom, I would hate to have to stun one of my favourite students. Stay there while I deal with this." The herbology professor soon had the Devil's Snare gone, and even placed a cushioning charm on the floor. There were soon aurors dropping into the room, much to Seamus' relief.

"Harry told me the aurors would come, and I believed him. Ron took us on this useless glory hunt, and I stupidly believed him too. Never again."

McGonagall took one look at the fallen Gryffindor and her heart sank. This was turning out to be worse than she'd ever thought possible, and this was only the second trap. Pomona volunteered to stay with the three students while Filius promised to return with a few brooms to get the students to safety. Minerva had sent a patronus message to Hagrid before Amelia had arrived, asking him to come to the castle and remove Fluffy. The music should keep the animal sleeping for now.

The Deputy Headmistress pushed on. Filius quickly had them through the flying keys and, with great trepidation, she approached her own trap. Spotting another of her Gryffindors lying injured on the floor saw Minerva McGonagall in tears, and Amelia's control on her temper run out.

"This is supposed to be a school. I sent my niece here and expect her to be kept safe. My department will be holding a full investigation on this matter. Stuff like this in a school is bloody outrageous..."

Minerva didn't even hear Amelia, she was too busy sinking to her knees in relief when her scan showed Dean Thomas was only concussed. Amelia left the both of them there as she and her aurors pushed ahead.

-oOoOo-

"Lavender, we need to go forward. You'd be much safer staying here..."

The girl in question was now clinging needfully to the couple. "Don't leave me here. I was going crazy by myself, I can't stay here. I'll feel much safer with you two, and I want a chance to kick Ron Weasley in the nuts for leaving me here."

"That get's my vote, Harry, and she should be safe with us. How are we getting through the flames?"

Lifting the bottles off the wooden table and placing them on the floor, Harry took out his wand and began transfiguring the now empty table. Harry soon had the table morphed into a hollow rectangle, about five feet high, just over two feet wide and around a foot deep. When Harry transfigured the wood into steel, Hermione figured out what he was up to.

"Genius, love. We'll have to be careful and not touch the sides, they'll get hot."

Nodding, Harry asked if they were ready before levitating his rectangle into the black flames. Lavender stood in awe as the structure pierced the black flames, leaving the inside portion of the transfigured table free from the deadly fire. They now had a doorway out of here.

Stepping through the space, Harry then pulled on his invisibility cloak. Facing the potions room and holding the cloak open, he gestured for the girls to join him. Hermione stepped through and snuggled into his right side, leaving Lavender clinging to his left. Closing the cloak, Harry now had an arm around each girl and all three were invisible to anyone else in the room. The black flames died but Harry's improvised entrance stayed in place - ready for the next person to use it. Cautioning Lavender to remain silent, they quietly shuffled off.

It took only seconds for the trio to turn a corner and come upon a strange scene. A Professor Quirrell who no longer stuttered had a bound Ron held in front of an old mirror.

"Tell me what you see, boy."

Ron's nerves seemed to disappear as he studied the mirror. He actually began to smile. "I see me, and I look bloody good. I'm Quidditch Captain - and Head Boy. Dumbledore is just about to present me with the Quidditch Cup..."

"Stupid fool. The stone, tell me how to get the stone? I can see it but don't know how to get my hands on it."

"I don't know what you're talking about, I can't see any stone. Wow, Dumbledore's now giving me the House Cup..."

_**"Let me speak with the boy."**_

"Master, you're not strong enough."

**_"I have strength for this, do it."_**

As Quirrell began unwinding his turban, Harry's hand slid up and covered Lavender's mouth. She knew what Harry was doing yet didn't understand the reason why. That was until that turban came off, then both of her own hands joined Harry's, pressed over her mouth too. Harry took his hand away and carefully passed Lavender on to Hermione, it would soon be time for him to make an appearance.

The face that appeared out of the back of Quirrell's head absolutely terrified Ron. When those red eyes focused on him, and it spoke, Ron pissed himself.

**_"I see you know who I am. You can see what I've been reduced to. The stone held in that mirror can grant me a new body. Help me get that stone and I'll reward you greatly - you will also live beyond today. If you can't or won't help me, I will have no further use for you. Whether you live or die is now in your own hands."_**

Ron was again facing the mirror, and ready to say anything that would see him walk out of here. Then he had his brainwave. "I see the stone but someone else is holding it. It's Potter. Potter has the stone you want."

Only the fact he'd just pissed himself stopped Ron from doing so again as he heard his name called.

"Weasley, you are so full of shit!"

Ron and Voldemort turned to face a Harry Potter who was standing there with his wand in his hand. **_"Ah, Harry, I was hoping you could join us. So glad you didn't disappoint."_**

At that, Quirrell turned side on and a curse came Harry's way. A curse he easily shielded against. **_"It would seem Quirrell is a better teacher than I gave him credit for."_**

"Don't flatter yourself, I had a far better teacher."

**_"Ah yes, your little mudblood. What is it with you Potter men that you deliberately insult your proud and ancient heritage with filth like that."_**

After needlessly telling Lavender to stay quiet and remain under the cloak, Hermione slipped out to help Harry. "You're growing out the back of a walking dead man's head yet you insult my heritage - what arrogance! You seem to forget, Tom, both of us have muggle fathers."

The scream of rage from Voldemort at hearing that saw Quirrell spin and start firing curses at Hermione. This had Hermione moving and shielding before an overpowered expelliarmus shot from Harry at the person who would dare attack his intended.

A shocked Quirrell saw his wand ripped right out his hand, though his enraged master paid that loss no mind.**_ "Kill the bitch. I want her dead. Strangle her with your bare hands if you have to. Make sure she never utters that foul name again."_**

Hermione was ready to drop the now unarmed possessed wizard when she spotted an enraged Harry rapidly bearing down on him. With all thoughts of magic forgotten, Harry tackled the much larger wizard to the floor. He was on Quirrell's back and landing vicious punches into Voldemort's face.

"You took my parents, you'll never touch her. Never, never, never..."

The screams from Riddle and Voldemort rang throughout the room as Harry's punches hit home - doing unbelievable damage to their intended target.

-oOoOo-

The anger amongst Amelia and her aurors built as they came upon the unconscious troll, pushing on they entered the potions room. It hadn't been designed for this and didn't know how to deal with so many people entering at once. As the purple and black flames burst into life, Harry's configured exit was still in place. Through this opening, they all heard the screams coming from the other room. Amelia was through the improvised doorway in seconds, closely followed by her aurors streaming behind their boss.

Amelia went over and immediately pulled Harry off the figure on the ground, her aurors keeping it covered with their wands. Even although the face and head was beginning to slowly disintegrate, all could easily discern who the face belonged to. If that identity was in any doubt, the verbal bile it was spouting offered confirmation.

**_"Potter, you and your mudblood will die under my wand. Lord Voldemort will return..."_**

Hermione dashed over and now had her arms protectively around Harry, a shocked Amelia releasing him into her care. Harry wasn't about to stand there quietly though.

"We'll still be waiting to kick your arse if you return, Tom. Now, do us all a favour and fuck off."

The room was packed with aurors, all standing there in awe of what they were witnessing. Here was the fabled boy-who-lived telling the supposedly deceased Dark Lord to fuck off. How in the name of Merlin were they supposed to write this one up.

Hermione was holding a trembling Harry tight and whispering in his ear. "I'm here, Harry. I'm never going to leave you. I'll always be here for you. I love you. Now however would be a good time for Prongs to make an appearance."

They'd kept up their practice all year but Harry hadn't quite managed a corporal patronus yet. With a dying scream of 'Potter', Voldemort's dark essence began to leave the dead body. That was enough provocation for Harry. With a cry of 'expecto patronum', Prongs shot out the tip of his wand.

The spectre of Voldemort was ready to attack the young couple when a golden glowing rack of antlers slammed into what was left of the Dark Lord. Those screams were drowned out by Harry shouting at him.

"You'll never get near me or mine. You hear me, Riddle? You're finished in Britain, no one wants you back. Even your supposed servants all deserted you. Get out of here - now." Prongs then slammed the dark spirit right into a wall, pushing it out the room, before returning to protect his caster.

It was then Harry noticed Albus Dumbledore had entered the room. "Good evening, Sir. You missed a hell of a party."

Grabbing his moment, Ron began to shout accusations. "Professor Dumbledore, I got here first. The treasure is rightfully mine. Potter turned up late and then killed Quirrell."

Figuring it was now safe, Lavender pulled the invisibility cloak off. "You're a liar, Weasley. A liar that nearly got all of us killed."

It looked as though Lavender was going to carry out her threat and violently introduce her foot to Ron's nuts when he suddenly collapsed to the floor. Ron was now shaking and beginning to foam at the mouth. Hermione offered an explanation that terrified Albus.

"Professor, Ron didn't solve the potion's logic puzzle. Ignoring the fact three of those flasks supposedly held poison, he just kept drinking until one made him feel cold."

It was now Dumbledore who felt his blood had just turned to ice. "Amelia, we all have questions here. Can we transfer everyone injured to the infirmary and then you'll get those answers in my office."

"No evasions, Albus. If I don't hear answers that satisfy me, you and a lot of your staff will be getting arrested tonight. I give you fair warning though, there's a lot to answer for."

-oOoOo-

Amelia had a dead Hogwarts professor, three seriously injured first year students and multiple irrefutable confirmed sighting of someone they thought to be dead for over a decade. No one was going to put a lid on this enquiry, she would have her answers. Two aurors were assigned to guard what was left of Quirrell's body. She'd sent a request for the department of mysteries to investigate how Voldemort came to be possessing a Hogwarts professor.

She'd also sent another four aurors to the Hogwarts infirmary. They would take statements from the injured students before anyone else could get a chance to talk to them. One of those four aurors soon showed up at the Headmaster's Office, with a couple of uninjured students in tow. Neville and Parvati burst into the office to be reunited with their friends.

Dumbledore soon had seats provided for all his students, the house elves supplying much needed mugs of hot chocolate. Amelia also sat while the rest of her aurors took up positions around the room. After what they had seen tonight, everyone meant business. "I think we should get the ball rolling by asking Mister Potter what was behind the letter he sent to me tonight, asking for help."

This was the first of questions Harry and Hermione had been preparing answers to for months, they were ready. Sipping his hot chocolate, Harry began his explanation. "I have a map that my father and his friends made of Hogwarts. This is no ordinary map though, it shows the position and name of everyone inside Hogwarts."

Hermione offered to hold his mug, allowing Harry to take out the map and activate it. "Ma'am, there is absolutely no way I could know the names of the aurors inside this room, far less where they would be standing. Please look at the map and tell me if its correct."

Having heard about this map from young Neville, she was prepared for this answer. Staring at the map however, Amelia was amazed to see everyone in the room named, and in the correct position. She swapped two of her aurors around and watched in awe as the map matched and displayed their movements exactly. "This is unbelievable, but how do we get from this to your cry for help?"

"We noticed that Professor Quirrell had two names beside his figure, the other being Tom Riddle." A sharp intake of breath from Dumbledore told everyone he knew who that was, Harry however continued with their carefully prepared explanation. Dumbledore would know it was a load of shit they were shovelling, but it was everyone else they would have to convince.

"With the big quidditch match coming up, Hermione and I were looking at the trophy cabinet. My father's name is listed there for wining the same trophy we play for on Saturday - or should that be tomorrow now. We noticed there was a Tom Marvolo Riddle who received a special award to the school - and wondered if this could be the same person."

Taking his mug back from Hermione, he then brought her into the tale. "If you'll excuse the pun, my Hermione hates riddles. She solved this particular one tonight." With a deep drink from his mug, Harry passed the explanation baton onto Hermione.

"I was doodling when I discovered something that sent shivers down my spine. If you rearrange the letters of Tom Marvolo Riddle, they spell I am Lord Voldemort."

The silence that followed was broken by Harry. "Yes, it would seem the magical community are terrified to say an anagram. Anyway, we wanted to tell the headmaster but he wasn't in the castle. When we noticed Quirrell/Riddle head toward the forbidden third floor corridor, that's when we sent for help."

Looking straight at Dumbledore, Hermione made sure he knew tonight's fiasco wasn't their fault. "We intended to stay in our dorm until Madam Bones and the aurors arrived, neither Harry nor I had any intention of getting involved."

Nodding, Harry continued. "As you can imagine, we were watching the map closely to monitor the situation. We couldn't believe it when the map showed a bunch of first years sneaking out of Gryffindor - and heading straight for the third floor corridor. I swore so loud I actually woke Neville. The three of us found Parvatti in a full body bind and lying on the common room floor. She and Neville then headed off to warn Professor McGonagall."

As if by magic, mentioning McGonagall's name saw her enter Dumbledore's office. This was not the Professor McGonagall they were used to seeing though, she appeared to be shaken to her very core.

"Albus, Mister Thomas and Mister Finnigan have injuries that Poppy is easily capable of dealing with. Poppy says Miss Granger's initial treatment of Finnigan could possibly have saved his life."

Hermione nipped any speculation over her own abilities in the bud. "When Harry was injured playing quidditch, I could only stand there helpless. I watched Madam Pomfrey closely and learned the first spells she used. I just did the exact same for Seamus."

Her Head of House was far too concerned with someone else however to worry about that. "It's Ronald Weasley we have the problem with. It would seem he drank the poison Severus prepared..."

With tears rolling down her cheeks, Lavender told everyone what had happened. "We were in that room with the flasks of potion and Ron hadn't a clue what to do next, neither did I. He kept saying that the traps we'd made it past must mean the treasure they protected was really something special. He desperately wanted that treasure, and was sure we were close. Ron was prepared to do anything to get his hands on it. He drank from the flasks until one made him feel cold. Ron drank from at least three, possibly four."

A horrified McGonagall then broke the terrible news. "Poppy has no idea what he ingested. Knowing Severus, it would be something of his own invention. Poppy has the boy in stasis but estimates we have no more than forty eight hours to produce an antidote before Mister Weasley is beyond our help."

Amelia had two of her aurors writing down everything that was said here and wanted to clear a couple of things up before questioning the staff. "Mister Potter, Miss Granger, could you describe how you got past these so-called traps?"

Looking at each other, Harry let Hermione answer. "Hagrid had let slip that Fluffy was his, and that music sent him right to sleep. We had a music box that I've been using to help teach Harry dancing, it soon had Fluffy snoring. You just have to relax and Devil's Snare will ignore you, Seamus had already burned most of it off anyway. After performing first aid on Seamus, we pushed on to the next test. The flying key had already been caught twice and could barely fly by the time we got there, Harry didn't even have to mount a broom. Dean lying injured in the middle of the chess board stopped that test from resetting, so we didn't have to face it. The troll was already down and Ron had wrecked the potions challenge. Harry simply transfigured the table to get us through the flames."

Shaking her head in sheer admiration of how well they had dealt with all of that, Amelia then asked Harry what spells he'd used on the possessed professor.

Calmly handing his wand over for inspection, without even being asked, Harry rhymed off exactly what he'd cast. "A shield charm, an expeliarmus and that is the first time I've managed the patronus. Hermione said that's what protected me when Snape attacked my mind, I've been practicing to see if I could cast it on purpose. I disarmed Quirrell but then Voldemort ordered him to kill Hermione with his bare hands. To be honest, I forgot all about magic and just tackled him to the ground. I was trying to punch his head off when you pulled me away. For some reason, my punches seemed to really affect him."

With Hermione and Lavender agreeing that's exactly what happened, and Harry's wand collaborating his story exactly, Amelia felt she now had the truth of the matter.

"Mister Potter, myself and a dozen of my aurors witnessed you stopping Voldemort tonight. For that, you will face no charges for what happened to the possessed Professor Quirrell. In fact, your country thanks you. I'm sure we'll make that more official once we get everything sorted."

Hermione was leaning against Harry and those words had the tension flowing out of both of them. They had pulled it off. Before they could implement stage two though, Amelia switched targets.

"Now, Albus and Minerva. I want to know exactly what in the name of Merlin was going on in that third floor corridor?"

Everyone in that room knew the question was really aimed at the headmaster, Albus didn't disappoint. "Amelia, I want it recorded that I am solely responsible for what happened down there. The staff were working under my orders, and could only guess at what the other members of staff involved had devised. I had heard whispers that Voldemort wasn't really gone. Not only that, he was trying to return..."

"Why am I just hearing this now?"

"When I say whispers, that's all it was. You couldn't even call it rumours. The whispers I heard were that his spirit was targeting my friend, Nicolas' stone. It was moved from Gringotts a matter of hours before someone made an attempt to steal it. These traps were set with the sole purpose of confirming whether he had returned..."

"...and what if he'd gotten his hands on that stone? A resurrected Voldemort with the power of immortality would have been the end of all of us."

Here Harry interrupted Amelia, trying to help the old wizard out. "Forgive me, ma'am, but Voldemort hadn't a clue how to get his hands on that stone. I'm assuming that was planned? Keep him there until you could confront him?"

When Albus nodded, Harry had more to say. "Hermione and I had figured that out. That's why we weren't going anywhere near that floor, there was no need to. If Ron hadn't dragged the rest of them down there, Madam Bones, her aurors and Professor Dumbledore would have dealt with the situation. We would all have been in bed by now, and you lot would have been breaking out the firewhisky."

This actually got a few laughs from a couple of the aurors, until Amelia silenced them with a glare. While delighted for the support, Albus again accepted responsibility for the children who had been injured tonight. After asking Amelia if she was finished questioning the students, Albus was about to send them off to bed when Harry played their final card of the night.

Reaching over to retrieve his map, Harry had something else to bring to their attention. "We actually thought Ron Weasley was possessed for a while. It seemed that everywhere he went, there were the same two people present. The funny thing is though, unlike Quirrell, the map showed them as two different people. When we saw them in separate places at the same time, we didn't know what to think. Look for yourselves. Someone called Peter Pettigrew is currently in the Gryffindor dorms, probably sleeping in Ron's bed."

The silence that caused was total, then all hell broke loose.


	15. Families

You're My Density

Chapter 15 - Families

It wasn't really fair to say that dawn broke over the island prison of Azkaban. This far north, and only a couple of weeks from the summer solstice, it never actually got dark enough for dawn to be really noticeable. Today's dawn though was certainly going to be different on the island - a day like no other on the rock.

Prisoners get used to the routine of being incarcerated. For the longer term prisoners, it becomes all they have. Even small changes to that routine could be startling. Someone opening your cell door outside of routine certainly qualified as something startling.

Squinting his eyes to ensure the information they provided was correct, Merlin forbid he blurt the imagined person's name out loud and possibly make a right fool of himself. A single word finally found its way past a pair of cracked lips. "Ami?"

She stood there for what seemed like an eternity before answering. "You look like shit, Sirius."

Yip, that was definitely Ami Bones. "And you still tell it like it is."

Desperately trying not to get his hopes up, the marauder attempted to insert some humour into a situation that clearly didn't have any. "Don't take this the wrong way, Ami, but I hope you're not sneaking into my room to have your wicked way with me..."

"Sirius, we caught Pettigrew..."

He tried not to react, he really did. Stopping the tears running down his cheeks was just never going to happen. That Sirius managed not to break down sobbing was going to be counted by him as a massive victory. Of all the questions that now flooded into his thoughts, there was one that he really needed to know the answer to. "My godson, Harry?"

"It was Harry who discovered him. Your godson has this unbelievable map of Hogwarts that led us straight to the little rat bastard. We hardly had to lean on Pettigrew at all before he was spilling his guts and telling us everything. How he got sorted into Gryffindor I'll never know. You're free, Sirius, and I'll make sure the rat gets allocated this cell when we ship his arse to Azkaban."

Sirius then lost his so recently hard won victory. Sirius Black sobbed like a baby. As Amelia helped him to his feet and out of the cell door, Sirius just kept repeating the same phrase over and over again.

"My godson's a Marauder, my godson's a Marauder..."

In a different part of the prison, another cell door opened.

"Well, you are the last person I expected to see."

"If there is one thing my many years have taught me, it's that none of us know what's around the corner. How have you been, Severus?"

"This is obviously not a social call, Albus. Do us both a favour and get straight to the point."

"Oh I'm sorry, Severus. I didn't realise you got to talk with people all day and were tired of conversation. You are right though, I am here for a specific reason. The traps on the third floor were sprung. Unfortunately, some students thought they were set up specifically as a challenge to them."

"Let me guess, stupid Gryffindors. Why should I care?"

"A student consumed at least one of your poison potions."

There was nothing said for a moment or two before Severus reiterated his earlier position. "Again, why should I care? You are the headmaster, I did exactly what you asked. The fault is yours."

"That is the position I have taken on this matter but, unfortunately, it is known who brewed the potions. If you refuse to help, you may find yourself facing further charges. At the very least, those two years of your sentence currently suspended will be enforced."

Finding himself once more between a rock and a hard place, Severus wanted to rage at the injustice of this. The fact that he'd been a model prisoner from the day and hour he'd been dumped in this shithole apparently just counted for nothing. He was now being held accountable for something Dumbledore had practically ordered him to do, and he'd actually almost forgotten all about. Sometimes, fate just had it in for him.

"If I do help, what's in it for me?"

Anticipating this argument, Albus had discussed this specific scenario with Amelia on their way to Azkaban. "Save this boy's life and I'm positive we can at least waive those extra two years, with a distinct possibility of early release. You do realise however that working in Britain again wouldn't really be an option?"

Having worked that out the same day he'd been sentenced, Severus only nodded.

"If the boy dies, I'm afraid the future is looking bleak for both of us. I understand this is not your fault, rather a miscalculation on my part. I will state that very fact in court but I fear, should the worse happen, the student's death would have a terrible effect on everyone involved."

Suddenly having a horrendous thought, Severus just had to ask the question that popped into his head. "This boy who drank the poison, is it Potter?"

"Severus, I'm disappointed that information would make a difference to your decision. Let me categorically state that the boy in question is not Harry Potter. I'll give you a magical oath to that effect if you so wish." Albus had no intention of telling Severus any details of what happened tonight, and Amelia agreed he would be kept incommunicado while working on this.

Knowing the complexity of Severus' potions, Albus had to concede that a simple bezoar wouldn't save Ronald Weasley. The boy would also be dead long before any other potions master could begin to decipher what specific poisons he had actually drank. Albus really didn't want to consider the possibility that the boy might have consumed more than one. If that were to be the case, then even Severus' great skill might not be enough to save Molly and Arthur's youngest son.

Although he was taking a few minutes to supposedly make his mind up, both wizards in that cell understood Severus really didn't have a decision to make. The mere chance of early release - balanced against the absolute certainty of at least another two years added to his sentence - ensured Severus Snape was going to do his utmost to save this stupid Gryffindor.

"I'm assuming we won't be doing any brewing in this cell?"

"If you're agreeable, we'll leave at once for St. Mungo's."

Severus stood and walked out of his cell, hopefully for the last time.

-oOoOo-

With the senior staff being up all night, and the defence professor being dead, classes were canceled on Friday. Since exams had finished yesterday, this was looked upon by the students as a welcome break. That was until Lavender and Parvati began to spread throughout the school the epic story of what had actually taken place last night.

Harry and Hermione grabbed the twins for a quiet chat, only to discover McGonagall had already told them Ron was in a bad way. He'd been transferred to St. Mungo's and both their parents were now keeping a vigil by his bedside. Harry tried to apologise for not getting to Ron quickly enough but the twins were having none of it.

"The way we heard it, Ron was facing you-know-who on his own."

"Yeah, and about to be murdered - until you stepped out from under your cloak."

Fred then got as serious as the twins ever get. "It's only thanks to both of you we've still got a younger brother. If Ron loses this battle, it's not your fault. You did everything you possibly could, no one can ask for more than that."

There were some strong embraces between the four, and a lot of surreptitious eye wiping. George then got things back to normal. Well, as normal as possible for when the Weasley twins were involved.

"Just one thing, Harry. Did you really tell one of the deadliest dark lords in history to fuck off?"

Hermione wrapped her arms around her man. Offering Harry all the comfort she could while trying to keep things light. Only she knew Harry had cried in her arms last night because he had ended a man's life.

"Yes he did. That was after my hero sprung to my defence. He disarmed Voldemort and then punched his face in."

Harry tried to smile, but it was hard.

As the day progressed, the unwanted attention got so bad it was actually a welcome break to sit in their private rooms and listen to Neville's somewhat normal problems.

"I like Parvati, I really do. One kiss though and she's already picking the wedding dress - with her sister and Lavender as bridesmaids. I know you two are very happy with the commitment you've made, but I'm nowhere near ready for something like that. How did you two figure out what you wanted?"

Hermione was sitting on Harry's knee, she hadn't been out of physical contact with him since the incident last night. She'd almost dragged Harry in the shower with her this morning. He'd past the offer bye, saying he wanted the first time they saw each other naked in these bodies to be special - and he didn't feel special today. Since the kiss he gave her in thanks for offering just about curled her toes, Hermione wasn't really complaining. While the spirit was certainly willing, both of them thought these bodies were still too young for anything other than kissing.

"It was simple, Neville. Any boy who would take on a troll with his bare hands to save you really has to be a keeper." This actually drew a small smile from Harry, before he got serious again.

"It really is simple, Nev. I love her with everything that I am. Explaining that is the hard part. Her happiness means much more to me than my own, her life too. When Voldemort ordered Quirrell to kill the bitch with his bare hands, I forgot all about magic and attacked him like a wild animal. I would have bitten the ugly bastard's nose off, if he had one to bite. No one is taking my Hermione away from me. They'll need to kill me first."

It was a wide-eyed Neville who stared back at them. "Well, I certainly don't feel that way about Parvati. I don't know if I could ever feel that way about anyone."

"It'll come, Nev - though probably not after just one kiss. Hermione is my future, she'll be my wife, the mother of our children. That's what Voldemort tried to take from me last night, that's why I reacted the way I did. I hope you understand, Nev, because we really value your friendship. I'd hate for this to change things between us."

Recognising this was important to Harry, Neville spoke straight from the heart. "I'm only sorry I wasn't down there with you to lend a hand. I can also only hope I would react as well, placed in a similar situation. It's obvious you're hurting over this, just like I can see Hermione is trying to help you. Anything I can do, just ask - though no kissing or cuddling. I'm leaving Hermione in charge of that."

"Thanks Nev, for everything. The rest of the school can and will think what the hell they like. Loosing friends over this would have really hurt though."

"Never going to happen, mate."

Hermione again held her man in bed all night. Harry might have been restless but she counted this as an improvement on the previous night. She was relieved and delighted her parents would be in the castle tomorrow. Dobby would have kept them informed and they would certainly help both of them cope with this.

At breakfast next morning however, things once more took a turn for the worse - from Harry's point of view that is. Far too many people knew what had actually happened so neither Harry nor Hermione had expected the story to be kept quiet. Between Lavender and Parvati, they knew just about everything that had taken place that night. Also, thanks to both the gossiping girls, the entire castle had been made aware of this - with blow by blow accounts being told to anyone who stood still long enough to hear the story.

The Daily Prophet had surprised Hermione, she'd expected all knowledge that Voldemort had tried to make a comeback to be quashed by the Ministry of Magic. The view adopted by the newspaper appeared to be that, as long as they had Harry Potter, the Dark Lord needn't be feared.

This view frightened and excited Hermione, almost in equal measures. While it gave them great leverage to begin introducing the changes they needed, the backlash should they decide to leave Hogwarts and Britain would now be off the scale. It was going to be a hard balance to maintain.

It would appear too that Harry was no longer the Boy-Who-Lived, at least if the Prophet's headline were to be believed. In a banner headline, they had rechristened him the Boy-Who-Banished.

Skimming over the story, which appeared almost factual, Hermione had to delve into the newspaper before finding what she was looking for on page seven. With a delighted squeal, she drew Harry's attention to it.

She saw his first genuine smile in a couple of days while reading that a miscarriage of justice had been rectified. The supposedly deceased Peter Pettigrew had of course been stripped of his Order of Merlin and was now in Azkaban. That Sirius Black had been cleared of all charges and currently spending some time in St Mungo's recuperating was certainly welcome news to his godson.

His morning improved even more when Dean and Seamus approached them. Both had just been released from the infirmary, though Seamus was only being let out for the duration of the quidditch match. His hands were still wrapped in bandages so he couldn't shake theirs in thanks. Hermione solved that problem by pulling him into a hug.

"I'm just glad to see you looking a lot better than when we found you."

Just then, Dumbledore stood to address the hall. The time travellers knew a long conversation with the headmaster was in their future, things would need time to settle down first however.

"By now, all of you will have heard what transpired on the third floor the other night, and why I specifically forbade anyone from going there. I'm delighted to say that our missing student, Mister Ronald Weasley, is making great strides with his latest treatment. He's now expected to make a full recovery, though probably won't be rejoining us before the end of term."

There was no cheering of that news, more a mass feeling of relief sweeping along the Gryffindor table. Fred and George wore genuine smiles for the first time since the news of the incident broke.

Harry sat beside Hermione to try and eat some breakfast, relieved his morning appeared to be improving. The rate of that improvement reached stratospheric proportions as Hagrid led three people into the hall. Harry and Hermione were expecting two of them, the third was a total surprise.

He was out his seat and moving before even realising it. Here was the person who had comforted him his entire life, Harry actually broke into a run.

Feeling as if her senses were shutting down from information overload, Petunia was physically shocked back to reality by her nephew slamming into her and holding on for dear life.

"Oh Aunt Petunia, I've missed you so, so much."

Petunia was standing in the Hogwarts Great Hall with a tearful child clinging to her, she did the only thing she could. She wrapped her arms around him while making nonsensical but comforting noises to the child.

While wiping her own eyes at the scene she was watching, and desperate to race to her own parents, Hermione had one thing she needed to do first.

She leaned in to speak quietly with the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. "Oliver, Harry will be staying with us as long as possible before the match. He won't need a team talk today. With his aunt here, he would fly through a brick wall to win the game. Play this right and you'll get your hands on that cup today."

Having heard and now read what had happened the other night, Oliver had been very concerned that three of his team might not be able to play today. Looking over at his beaters who were now laughing and joking too, Oliver just nodded. He never expected to be in this position at the start of the season anyway, so he was just going to cut all of them some slack and enjoy today's final game.

Hermione then slammed into her mum. "You like our surprise dear?"

"Mum, you and dad are the greatest. This is the best thing you could possibly have done for Harry. You will need to tell me how you managed it though."

Hermione was soon in her father's arms as her mother whispered she would find out later. Hermione could wait.

-oOoOo-

When Emma presented the opportunity to visit Hogwarts and watch her nephew playing some sort of magical sport, Petunia had jumped at the chance. It had been a long held dream of her youth to visit the enchanted castle where her sister had attended school. Through her teenage years, Petunia had been forced to accept it was a dream she was being deliberately excluded from - yet her younger sister got to go and live there for most of the year.

She had buried that unfulfilled desire deep in her psych, and that's where the trouble began. Like a seed planted in fertile ground it had started to grow. This germination was not a healthy cultivation though. It was a malignant weed, and its name was resentment. As resentment grew stronger and stronger, it started to lignify into its terrible relative - hatred.

Petunia could admit that now. Admit that over the years her resentment had grown into hatred, and that hatred had become focused on the roots of her resentment - Lily. It had been oh so easy to transfer that hatred from her now dead sister to a baby that looked back at her with Lily's eyes.

The invitation for Petunia to finally visit Hogwarts not only felled the now virtual forrest of hatred like a chainsaw cutting through butter, it ripped any remaining stumps of resentment out by their roots and left a fertile field waiting to be sown with whatever dreams and aspirations she chose.

She had been reminded by Emma that Harry had different memories of his time spent at Privet Drive. She didn't say more pleasant memories, but Petunia knew that's what Emma meant. With her weekend visit to Hogwarts now confirmed, Petunia was as giddy as a schoolgirl. Here was a fresh start, her chance to see what was denied her the first time around with Lily. This time Petunia Dursley, nee Evans, was wanted too.

By the time Lily died, their relationship had deteriorated to the point where she hadn't even grieved for her baby sister. Petunia was far too busy cursing the magical people for dumping her unwanted nephew on their doorstep. With both Granger ladies making it abundantly clear the status quo regarding Harry's treatment by her family simply wasn't an option any more, it was time to reconsider what sort of relationship she could build with her nephew.

Arriving at the Grangers on the Friday evening, Petunia was instantly aware something was wrong. Emma said there had been some sort of attack at Hogwarts and of course their children had been right in the middle of it. While assured both Hermione and Harry were fine, there had been a fatality. They were sitting around the dinning table, waiting on someone called Dobby arriving, when Petunia gave a startled squeal. Their starters had just appeared on the table, and a strange little creature now sat amongst them.

While Petunia had already decided her treatment of Harry would have to change, discovering this little creature was looking out for her nephew radically altered the situation. They had apparently been expecting trouble the evening before and Dobby had shadowed them all night, providing the three avid listeners with a blow by blow account of exactly what had happened. On hearing that her nephew had killed a professor, who was admittedly trying to murder Hermione at the time, Petunia just didn't know what to think.

Dan Granger seemed to sit that little bit straighter while Emma was in tears at what poor Harry was forced to do. Dobby must have said he would protect his family on at least three separate occasions before Petunia understood that message was aimed at her. Dan explained that Dobby was their secret weapon, and had orders to remain invisible unless the two children found themselves in a situation they couldn't handle.

Watching as the little creature snapped its fingers and their delicious starters were replaced by a main course sent a shiver of dread down Petunia's spine. The creature's size obviously bore no relation to the magical power it possessed. She could easily imagine those fingers being snapped at Vernon or Dudley if they treated the boy cruelly. It was harder to imagine what the creature's magic would do to the men in her life. It took no imagination whatsoever to understand this little creature was totally devoted to her nephew and his girlfriend. Dobby would react if either was threatened, though he would apparently need to be quick to beat Harry to the task if Hermione was in danger.

Thinking of her nephew's words spoken back before Christmas, when Dudley had tried to intimidate Hermione, it would now seem they'd had a lucky escape. Going anywhere near the girl with bad intentions was certainly something Vernon and Dudley would have to avoid.

Petunia didn't sleep much that night, and then thought a cruel joke was being played on her when invited to touch an old boot next morning. Travelling from Crawley to the Scottish Highlands in a matter of seconds was something Petunia would never forget. She could hardly forget the giant of a man who was waiting to greet them when they arrived either. The last time they met, this brute had given her Dudley a tail.

Her first sight of the castle though was everything she had imagined - and more. Petunia had found herself becoming overawed by the strange sights continually assaulting her senses, that stopped abruptly when her nephew crashed into her in that hall. She looked down and saw her baby sister's eyes looking back up at her, almost begging to be comforted. Petunia couldn't help it, her arms just closed around Harry.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was again proven right. While Hufflepuff were a good team, and playing a great match - Gryffindor were in the process of forging a great team. Gryffindor were also a team currently inspired to reach beyond their best. The twins had just discovered their youngest brother was going to pull through after drinking deadly poison. They played today with a vim and verve that unbelievably eclipsed their usual enthusiasm. Harry however was simply sensational.

The reason for Harry's phenomenal flying was currently sitting in the stands, wedged between Hermione and Emma. While the only time Emma's gaze left Harry was when she couldn't help fearfully covering her eyes with her hands, Petunia was trying to absorb the entire experience. Her biggest problem would be not being able to tell anyone, other than Vernon and Dudley, what she had seen.

As her dad was on his feet, cheering and applauding another Gryffindor goal, Hermione took the opportunity to speak with Petunia.

"I'd like to thank you for coming today. You can clearly see it means the world to Harry."

This girl confused Petunia. She decided just to air that confusion. "I understand you were Harry's girlfriend before he lost his memory. Your mum also said Harry had talked to you about his time living at Privet Drive…"

Shrugging her shoulders, Hermione told Petunia what she needed to know. "You're Harry's family. One day you'll be my family too. We each have a choice to make about just how close that family will be. I know what Harry wants, and I'll try my damnedest to see he gets it."

Seeing the confusion, Hermione explained further. "When Harry came around on Halloween, he didn't know where he was - or who any of the people around us were. All he remembered was me. We'd been growing close before that night. After Halloween, we were inseparable. Harry thinks of you as his mother, and Dudley as his brother. When I mentioned he hadn't said that before injuring his head, he said something that really made me stop and think…"

She actually had to stop for a moment again as the stadium erupted when Gryffindor scored yet another goal. Petunia though was now more interested in hearing what this girl had to say than watching the match.

"Harry asked if someone telling me all the memories I had of my parents were wrong would change the way I felt about them. I love my mum and dad very much so I had to say no. That's the position Harry finds himself in. He loves you very much, and our Christmas visit to Privet Drive broke his heart. The other night Harry had to do something terrible. Deep inside he knows he did the right thing, he needed to hear that though from someone he loves. I've been helping him cope but, just by turning up here today, you've helped him more."

The yells of the crowd again interrupted their discussion as Cedric went into a dive. Harry was soon right beside him with both seekers pulling out at the very last second, almost brushing against the grass on the pitch. Everyone in the stadium already knew what Lee was only now announcing. Cedric had attempted a fake and Harry had covered it - without being fooled. They were laughing and high-fived each other before both seekers got themselves back into the game. Hermione had seen the camera flashes from the crowd and was thankful that, once again, Dumbledore had barred the press from speaking to the players - especially Harry. When his search pattern saw him flying right alongside where they were sitting, the cheers for Harry from the Gryffindors was deafening.

"I can't believe that's the same boy we took to King's Cross back in September..."

Smiling at Petunia, Hermione confessed her parents had said almost exactly the same thing to her when they arrived home for Christmas. "Coming to Hogwarts from a non magical home puts you at a hellish disadvantage when you first enter the castle. Things that others take for granted, we haven't a clue about. It really is a different world and you have to adapt fast or sink. Both of us almost sank..."

Although this was a young girl speaking, the hurt in her words belied those years. "That Halloween, something was said to me that I thought was the final straw. I was sitting in a girls' bathroom, crying my eyes out, when a ten foot tall troll decided to wreck the place. I was trapped in a corner as it closed in on me, only for Harry to come bursting in and jump on it as a distraction. Harry now being in deadly danger forced me get up and take action. I used my magic and forced the troll's own club to knock it out, but I didn't manage to do all that before Harry got injured."

Petunia had lost all interest in the match now, she was far more concerned with what Hermione was going to say next. "All that we had learned in those two hard months of being dropped into an alien culture, Harry had now forgotten. He didn't even know he was a wizard. Harry wanted to go home, go back to his family. He only stayed because of me. The school, hell - even the government, are now bending over backwards to keep Harry at Hogwarts. We know this and are angling for changes to be made, changes like you and my parents being here today. Three muggles at a Hogwarts quidditch match, that has never happened before..."

It was a thoughtful Petunia who was now joining the dots, not forgetting to add the one where Hermione had earlier said they were almost certain to meet the magical equivalent of the Prime Minister today.

"When Lily came home from Hogwarts, she had changed so much. Looking around today, I can now understand some of the reasons for those changes. As a young teenage girl, I just saw something taking my sister away from me - and I was so angry at Lily for letting it happen. We were once very close you know. So close that, even although magic terrified me, I wrote to Dumbledore and asked if I could attend Hogwarts too. I didn't want to be parted from Lily for ten months every year. Not only was I told I wasn't wanted, they took my baby sister away from me too. If I could have spent the odd weekend here, saw some of what Lily was doing, met her friends, shared more common ground we could talk about when she was home - who knows what might have happened?"

What happened next was the stadium erupting as Harry shot up and snatched the snitch from just above Oliver's goals. This meant his captain was the first person to tackle Harry in celebration, though the other five were close behind.

Hermione was on her feet too, applauding like mad. Harry broke from the airborne scrum of Gryffindor players and flew toward her. After a congratulatory kiss, Harry turned to the person next to her.

"Aunt Petunia, I would like you to have this - as a memento of your visit."

She could see the thing flapping in his hand. It was obviously magical and Petunia was already beginning to back away. "Oh, I couldn't... Is that..."

Seeing the change come over Petunia, Hermione helped her reach the decision that would delight Harry. "Yes, that's a GOLDEN snitch. Harry catching it won the cup for Gryffindor. I keep mine in a special box, I'll make you a copy of my box for yours when we get back to our rooms."

With trembling hands, Petunia wrapped her fingers around the walnut size golden ball, trying not to notice the flapping silver wings.

"Gotta go, we've a cup to collect." Wearing a massive smile, Harry flew back down to rejoin his teammates.

Hermione advised Petunia to put the snitch in her bag for now, least it fly away. It was soon safely ensconced in her favourite designer handbag, with the thought that selling this snitch could probably raise enough money to buy another six bags like this one.

With even the Hufflepuffs applauding the Gryffindor captain being presented with the cup, it had turned into a fabulous final for all the visitors to see. The reception after the match should be fun but Hermione already knew they would be giving the after match party in Gryffindor tower a miss. Both she and Harry would want to spend as much time with their visitors as possible.

-oOoOo-

Petunia was really not comfortable attending the reception held after the match but both Granger ladies promised to stick close. This in turn gave Petunia a front row seat for the events that unfolded during the get-together.

Arthur Weasley had made his way to Hogwarts, again bringing Ginny along too, but this time there was no questioning of Dan and Emma. Until Harry arrived, his main focus of attention was Hermione.

"I really can't put our family's gratitude into words. Without yours and Harry's interventions, it would have been a coin toss which killed Ron first - the poison he drank or you-know-who. Either way, he wasn't coming out of there alive..."

Instead of answering Arthur, Hermione was far more concerned about his daughter. Ginny had tears streaming down her cheeks so Hermione placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. This was the final straw for the littlest Weasley, she broke into sobs while clinging to the older witch.

Ginny's emotional breakdown was missed by most in the room since that was the same moment both quidditch teams arrived. Harry and the twins though had certainly noticed. Shaking hands with those that couldn't be avoided, they quickly made their way over to their families. It was Arthur who offered an explanation to the group, his own fragile emotional state clear for everyone to see.

"She's been really strong over the last few days. Hearing the news that Ron is going to recover has affected all of us. Molly wouldn't leave Ron's bedside, she hasn't left it since we got to St Mungo's. Harry, I need to thank you too for what you did..."

He found himself being interrupted by a scoffing Fred. "Good luck with that, Dad."

"Yeah. Our Harry here tried to apologise to us - for not getting to Ron quicker."

It was Ginny who then managed to speak between her sobs. "But Ron was the one who tried to get you chucked out of Gryffindor. Why would you fight you-know-who to save him?"

"Because it was the right thing to do - and that's who my Harry is." With one arm still holding Ginny, Hermione's free arm snaked around Harry's waist as the couple shared a gentle kiss.

The inclusion of Harry to this group had greatly increased people's interest in it, something the politician in Cornelius was naturally aware of. He chose this as his moment to act, understanding that soon everyone in the room would be focused on them. With Amelia at his side, the Minister of Magic made his presence known.

"Miss Granger is of course correct. What she omitted to mention however is that she was at his side for the entire adventure, making contributions to the rescue mission that were every bit as vital. That is why the Ministry are going to award each of you Orders of Merlin. This still needs to be ratified by the Wizengamot but I'm hoping to make both of them First Class."

Hermione was for once rendered speechless, it was left to Harry to raise their objections. "Thank you for the offer, Minister, but neither Hermione nor I deserve such an honour."

This time it was Amelia who answered Harry's objection as the crowd around the group grew.

"I couldn't disagree more. You both knew Voldemort was down there, and that help was on the way, yet neither of you hesitated when four of your classmates were in deadly danger. Had you not done so, at least two could have died - and we would have been left facing Voldemort."

Cornelius was nodding in agreement. "You went down there not looking for glory but to rescue classmates. Even after rescuing three of them, and knowing the Dark Lord was through that final door, you still pushed ahead to save the fourth. As Arthur's youngest just pointed out, this boy was not your friend - but still you went ahead. While watching the situation unfold from under an invisibility cloak, both you and your intended left that safety to face a Dark Lord whose very name terrifies almost everyone in this room. By any definition I've ever heard of, both your actions that night are steeped in heroism - heroism that deserves to be acknowledged by a very grateful country."

Augusta Longbottom may have started the applause but it was soon taken up by almost everyone in the room. Only three shocked muggles and their pair of charges weren't caught up in the enthusiasm of this announcement. The twins were busy shaking both their hands and Ginny had stopped crying, though her blush at having kissed Harry on the cheek might never fade.

Hermione was left trying to explain the situation to the three muggle parents, and also to some extent Harry. "An Order of Merlin, First Class, is the highest award for bravery in magical society. The only thing I can think of to compare it with is a solider receiving the Victoria Cross."

This did the trick as Emma and Dan soon had both of them wrapped up in proud hugs. Petunia just stood there, not knowing the shocks weren't over yet.

Turning to Albus, Cornelius paid the headmaster the courtesy of asking for something he knew would instantly be granted. Everyone in that room wanted Harry Potter to stay in Britain, and would aid the Minister's efforts in every way possible. Cornelius really wanted to tear strips off Albus for this fiasco but, with Voldemort's attempted return, the country needed Dumbledore and Potter at Hogwarts. He and Amelia however would be having private words with the headmaster later.

"Headmaster, I have no wish to intrude on Hogwarts' traditional leaving feast. I wondered if we could hold the ceremony here next weekend? I'm assuming of course you would make arrangements for the young people in question to have their families present for the ceremony?"

While Dumbledore was assuring everyone that would happen, and offering his congratulations to the couple, Hermione's mind slipped back into gear. Knowing all that Harry had achieved last time around in his four years at Hogwarts, and the most he'd ever been rewarded with was some house points, she had initially struggled to accept this new reality. Having now sussed what was really behind this move, Hermione chose this moment to push for more. With Fudge, Dumbledore, Bones, McGonagall and Longbottom present, between them these people actually held the power to make it all happen. After all, they wouldn't be asking for much.

"Thank you, Minister. Both for these awards and thinking of our families. When a muggle born, or muggle raised like Harry, receives a Hogwarts letter, it's so much more than a simple invitation to attend this prestigious school. We find ourselves being immersed in this whole other culture. Madam Longbottom's lessons have helped immensely with this adjustment but it's almost as if we're expected to give up our own culture - in some cases our families - to be accepted into the magical community."

If Hermione was going to climb on her soapbox, Harry was going to give his intended all the backing he could. Standing there with his arm around her told everyone he agreed with her views too as Hermione started asking some questions they both wanted answered.

"Our families have benefited greatly from visiting Hogwarts, they will now understand far more of what we're talking about when we're home. Surely it shouldn't be too difficult to arrange a visit for a muggle born's family when they're in first year? In some cases this policy even splits siblings, one going to Hogwarts while the other stays home - through no fault of their own."

All the magical people gathered around Hermione knew she was talking about Harry's mother and aunt, actually earning Hermione a smile from Petunia. While her suggestion had left those it was directed at dumbfounded, Hermione threw in another one.

"As I said earlier, Madam Longbottom's lessons have been brilliant for helping us adjust. That's only helping solve one side of the problem though. Where are the lessons on our culture for the people who are just as clueless about us as we are them?"

Being the first to see the sense behind that, thanks to her weekly classes here, Augusta pointed out the problem that was immediately obvious to her. "While I'm delighted you're enjoying my lessons, and agree your idea is a very good one, I just don't know where we would find someone who could teach that side of things."

Hermione shifted her gaze to the three muggles standing there, and Albus was instantly all over her implied offer.

"I hate to disagree, Augusta. Those aren't good suggestions - they are quite simply brilliant! Minerva, between both of us I'm sure we could organise for the immediate families of our next intake of muggle borns to visit Hogwarts. The new lessons for first years would have to be taken to the school board for approval. That relatives of Harry Potter and his betrothed, two Orders of Merlin recipients, would volunteer to aid with teaching the muggle side of this proposal I'm certain would help see those lessons in place for next term."

Involving these people in Hogwarts in any capacity greatly reduced the likelihood of Harry and Hermione leaving. Having them teaching, even on a very part time basis would be a real coup.

When Hermione looked pleadingly at her mother, Emma caved. While she and Dan had also figured out just what was going on here, there were hidden benefits for them to be considered too. Any teaching commitments they undertook at Hogwarts would come with the added bonus of being able to visit Hermione and Harry. Having only letters as a means of communication with their daughter between September and Christmas had been torturous for the really close Granger family. Here was a chance to schedule regular visits.

"We were going to have discussions today about Hermione, Harry and Neville spending part of their summer together - both at our house and Augusta's. That should give us a much better idea what actual subjects would need to be included in any lesson..."

This had Augusta interrupting, delighted at this turn of events. "I would like to extend that invitation to both Harry and Hermione's families. Minerva, you would be a welcome guest too. Between all of us, I'm sure we could come up with some sort of undertaking that will not only begin to improve things at Hogwarts, but will have far wider implications. I have to admit, I'm learning as much from my weekly lessons as I'm teaching - and enjoying those lessons as much as the children appear to."

It was a very rare occasion when everyone walked away from a situation thinking they had gotten what they wanted but, as Cornelius once more shook the young couple's hands in congratulation, only the press being present to capture - and publicise - the moment could have made today any better. Since that photo opportunity would certainly be fulfilled next weekend, the Minister of Magic was ecstatic at just how well things had gone today.

-oOoOo-

Amelia asked for a quiet word with Harry, Hermione of course was at his side. "I don't know if you're aware of this, Harry, but Sirius Black is your godfather. He's desperate to see you, and says he's the person your parents asked to look after you - should anything happen to them."

Thinking for a moment, Harry wasn't prepared to make a serious commitment like that to a person he'd never met. "We're meeting with my aunt, Hermione's parents and Neville's gran to sort out our arrangements for the summer. I'm sure we could have some time in there for us to get to know my godfather. Do you think Sirius will be able to make it here next week?"

This saw a wide grin appear on Amelia's features. "His godson is being presented with an Order of Merlin, I couldn't keep him away even if I wanted to. You were the first person he asked about in Azkaban, Sirius was so proud you used that special map to catch Pettigrew. Although not publicised as such, seeing justice done for your parents' betrayer is also part of your Order of Merlin recommendations."

Now that was something both of them could accept.

Petunia was having a very hard time accepting all of this. Not only was she invited to return to Hogwarts next weekend, Vernon and Dudley were unbelievably invited too. After all the trouble Petunia had convincing them that she should visit this week, it was going to be really difficult getting their agreement for her to return again next weekend. Both of them coming too was simply a non starter.

If Vernon and Dudley being invited was unbelievable, the fact that she, Petunia Dursley, was being given an opportunity to teach young witches and wizards about being normal was totally blowing her mind. So much so, she headed off to bed early with a headache. That headache was mainly caused by her trying to figure out what the hell she was going to tell her husband and son?

Dobby then joined his family, erecting privacy wards as he did so. Dan leaned back in his chair, kicking his shoes off and letting out a sigh of relief. "Well, it's been quite the day."

They all giggled at his understatement, though Emma claimed it had been quite a couple of days.

"Mum, dad, thanks for being so accepting of this..."

"...and thanks for getting my aunt here. I don't know how you managed it, but I think you both deserve medals for that."

"Your aunt and I have been meeting in London for afternoon tea. I have been gradually wearing down her resistance to magic. Today was a massive step for her, it's not surprising Petunia is a bit overwhelmed with today's events. I'm just hoping with everything extra that happened, it wasn't a step too far - too soon. I certainly don't have any worries about you and Hermione staying there in August now. Whether she'll take any of the other offers that landed in her lap today is anyone's guess."

"With these two now being recognised for their bravery, and having met their secret weapon, they would be nuts to start anything. Harry says the magicals are nuts, I doubt the Dursleys would like to be compared to them."

While her dad's comment had Hermione giggling, Harry noticed Dobby was scowling in the direction of his Aunt Petunia's room.

"We really will be fine, Dobby. I don't know if Dumbledore will though when he finds his precious stone missing."

This saw Hermione hug the little guy. "All those traps and our Dobby had the stone out that mirror in twenty seconds flat. If that moron Weasley hadn't led the rest of them down there we would have sat up here all night."

"Yeah, pissing ourselves laughing at Voldemort trying to get something that wasn't there. Dobby had swiped the stone the day before."

Both Dan and Emma had known what their original plan had been, though one thing still puzzled her father. "I can't work out why, if you had the stone, Voldemort still thought it was in the mirror?"

Knowing they were soon going to have to repeat this conversation with the headmaster, and return his friend's stone, Hermione answered her father's question. "The mirror shows you your heart's greatest desire. For both Quirrell and Voldemort, that was getting their hands on that stone. There was no need to put the stone in the mirror in the first place. Dumbledore could simply have hid it in his sock drawer, the mirror itself would have done the rest."

"I told you wizards are nuts. The more powerful they are, the nuttier they seem to be..."

Hermione leaning in and kissing Harry on the cheek for that put a smile back on Dobby's face. He loved his family and would protect them from anyone, be they named Dumbledore or Dursley.


	16. A Black Day

**You're my Density**

A/N This week I was down in London, taking the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour. There were far too many highlights even to list them here. What I will say however is that it's a fantastic experience, one that I would thoroughly recommend to anyone.

**Chapter 16 - A Black Day**

The issue of the Prophet with Harry Potter flying across the front cover, wearing Gryffindor quidditch robes, did not aid the digestion of those sitting at the Malfoy breakfast table. It wasn't so much the picture that upset the Malfoys' stomachs, rather the article gleefully proclaiming Potter, and his intended, were to be honoured by the Ministry of Magic. This coming the day after the same newspaper claimed that Potter banished the Dark Lord once more had Lucius Malfoy cursing up a storm.

"They're giving Potter and his little mudblood Orders of Merlin - unbelievable!. Now we discover the reason for all the lies printed yesterday. This must be something Dumbledore's cooked up, Fudge certainly doesn't have the brains for a scheme like this. They must be really desperate to keep the brat in Britain."

Ever since the night she'd pulled her wand on her husband, Cissi was having to be very careful when questioning Lucius' judgement. Only her promising to help with any scheme against Potter redirected Lucius' anger that night. She was left having to phrase any question in the politest terms possible.

"Do you think they made the entire Quirrell incident up?"

"Oh I certainly believe Quirrell is dead, Potter might even have had a hand in causing his death. If he did, can't you just see Dumbledore rushing to cover for his golden boy. What better cover than to say Quirrell was being possessed by our Lord? Instead of being prosecuted by the Ministry, those bloody fools are falling over themselves in their haste to reward the brat. If our master had returned, he would have made contact with me. Severus was in the castle with Quirrell for a couple of months too. Why wouldn't our Master make contact with him?"

Cissi couldn't argue with any of that. Watching the Prophet's picture of Potter though gave her an idea. She didn't want her family going anywhere near Potter looking for retribution. Maybe there was a way they could have some revenge, while avoiding the promised outcome that absolutely terrified her.

"Potter won the Quidditch cup for two reasons. The Slytherin team was disbanded and the boy had the fastest broom in Hogwarts. With Slytherin looking for an entire new team next year, what if Draco had a better broom than Potter? He'd be sure to make the team, then our son could really show this upstart who's the better wizard."

"That's a good idea, one that needs some improvement though. I have contacts at Nimbus, contacts who could get me a full set of new brooms at cost price. A team of Slytherin purebloods once more putting everyone in their place will see the proper order restored at Hogwarts. That blood traitor Weasley will use all this positive publicity for the mudblood to help push through that muggle protection bill of his, I might have to do something rather drastic about that too…"

Cissi didn't care about any Weasleys. Harming one of those multitude of redheads wouldn't see Draco's detached head appearing in their manor. Draco and Slytherin publicly beating Potter at quidditch though was a different matter. That was a modicum of revenge, without incurring any retribution penalties. Draco would be delighted with a new broom while watching Potter being defeated by their son would satisfy Lucius - for now. The Malfoys could all live with that.

As the breakfast dishes disappeared, neither Malfoy bothered to look in their elf's direction. If they had, they would have noticed something rather unusual. Darla was actually smiling, tonight she would have news to tell Dobby.

-oOoOo-

Petunia left Hogwarts with the Grangers after lunch, saying goodbye to a young couple who clearly hoped to see her again next weekend. Arriving by portkey in the Grangers' lounge, Petunia was then asked if she wanted Dobby to take her home. That was why, fifteen minutes after being in the Scottish Highlands, she was sitting in her own kitchen drinking a relaxing cup of tea.

She heard the car in the driveway before the front door was unlocked.

"Now remember, Dudley, we had a salad... Pet, when did you get home? I thought I was coming to pick you up?"

"I was dropped off."

"How was your weekend with the freaks, mum?"

Visibly cringing at how her son phrased that question, Petunia began what she knew would be a hard sell.

"The Grangers are really lovely people - with an absolutely beautiful house. Five bedrooms and sitting in its own grounds, with a pool in the back garden…"

"Those poor people, having all that and they end up with a freak for a daughter. Then again, your parents were the same…"

"…and like my parents, they love their daughter too - even though she's a witch. They're very fond of Harry as well. They'll be spending most of the summer together."

"Do we still need to take him?"

"Vernon, that's simply non negotiable. Harry needs to stay here, or should I say we need him to stay here..."

This news didn't sit well with her son. "Why do we need the freak staying here? We're better off without him. No one around here even mentions he's gone..."

Taking a good look at the two men in her life, Petunia realised she needed to be brutal here. "The madman who murdered hundreds of people, including Harry's parents - my sister, isn't really dead. If him and his followers ever get together again, we Dursleys would be in deadly danger. These followers have already attacked the Grangers' home..."

"What? They would be looking for Potter. That seems like an even better reason not to have him back here."

The last thing Petunia needed was for Vernon to dig his heels in over this. "The Grangers' house was protected by magical shields, and suffered no damage whatsoever. They were whisked away to safety at the first hint of danger and the magical police were at their house within minutes too. Our house is already covered by shields that are actually stronger than those protecting the Grangers. For those shields to work however, Harry needs to live here for at least ten days a year - and think of this house as his home."

Opening her bag, she placed a copy of today's Daily Prophet on their table. Both Vernon and Dudley stared stupefiedly at a moving picture of Harry flying across the front page.

"This evil wizard was possessing one of the professors at their school. Somehow Harry discovered this and sent for their police. Before they could arrive however, Harry and Hermione were forced to act. They saved four other students and solved the problem before the police got there."

"If this wizard is so evil, how did the boy solve the problem?"

Deciding to be blunt, Petunia laid it out for Vernon. "Harry killed him."

That statement was met with total silence. Using that silence, Petunia explained her last remark. "The possessed professor was using his magic to attack Hermione. Harry managed to take the wizard's wand but he still tried to attack the girl. At that, Harry jumped on him and started punching the wizard in the face. For some reason, Harry's punches really hurt the wizard - eventually killing him. Harry and Hermione are to be awarded their top medals for bravery. I was there when their Prime Minister told them about these medals, and I'm invited back next weekend for the awards ceremony."

His eyes moving between the magical newspaper and his wife, Vernon just didn't know what to say. Dudley however was focused on the moving picture.

"Did Potter really fly on a broom?"

Reaching into her bag again, Petunia brought out the box Hermione had made for her. "Their sport is played on brooms, and looked incredibly dangerous. Emma spent about half of the match with her hands covering her eyes, frightened Harry would get hurt. I didn't really understand what was happening but Harry catching this won the match and cup for his team."

Opening the lid of the box, the golden snitch was flapping its wings while the fastening ensured it couldn't fly away. Vernon's initial surge of anger at this clearly magical object being in his house was soon swamped by a much stronger base emotion - greed.

"Is that..."

"The centre is made of gold, while the wings are silver. Harry presented me with it after the match, to say thank you for coming."

"It must be worth quite a bit, even just for the precious metals it's made from..."

"Vernon, it would seem the Potters are a wealthy family - a very wealthy family - and Harry's the last of the Potters."

"No wonder these Grangers are so keen to take the boy..."

"That has nothing to do with Emma and Dan's decision, both clearly dote on Harry. There is also now a godfather in the picture. He was slung in prison, apparently for something he didn't do. Guess who discovered the real criminal, and was instrumental in getting his godfather free? Oh, and the godfather's rich too."

Vernon was struggling to believe what his wife was saying here, but the evidence on the table corroborated everything she claimed to be true. "I can't believe this is the same freak who used to live in our cupboard…"

"He's not." An embarrassed Petunia then had to explain her outburst to her family. "Harry was injured saving Hermione back at Halloween. It was a head injury and it has affected all of his memories. He doesn't remember anything about staying in the cupboard, Harry thinks we treated him exactly the same as Dudley. Hermione knows though, because Harry had told her before his accident. He has the Grangers, who are more than willing to take him in permanently, and now a godfather who wants to do the same. The only thing stopping that happening is Harry's belief we are his family. If that belief goes, then so will he. This family would then be left defenceless - I won't have that."

It was then the expected temper tantrum from Dudley made an appearance.

"Why should we do that? Potter's getting everything here. What do I get?"

Petunia was out her chair and soon had her son in her arms. Running her fingers through his hair to sooth Dudley, she kissed his forehead before speaking.

"I know exactly how you feel, Diddums. My baby sister got to go off and do all these wonderful things, and I couldn't. She would come home and talk about flying on a broom, seeing a unicorn, and I would get so jealous. It's only after seeing it for myself I now understand. I'm bursting to tell everyone what I saw, but can't. I can only tell you and your dad, just like Lily could only tell me. It's not fair, and that's why Harry and Hermione are trying to change things. Him being on the front of their newspaper means people will listen to their ideas."

"Does that mean I can go with you next weekend?"

Hearing the hope in Dudley's voice was pushing Petunia into areas she never even dreamed she'd venture. That was before she visited Hogwarts however, and had been treated with respect while she was there.

"Both you and your father are certainly invited, but I don't think either of you are ready for that experience yet." Dudley was set to explode when Petunia instantly changed his mood.

"The first person I met was that great hairy wizard who visited us that night…"

Dudley's hands immediately shot to cover his bottom, right where he'd had to have that tail surgically removed. Petunia again kissed her son's forehead before continuing.

"I told you Harry's memories are all messed up, he couldn't remember that happening. He and Hermione were very angry with the big wizard, told him he could end up on prison for that. That wizard apologised to me, and then stayed out of our way for the rest of the weekend. I think we should wait until Harry and Hermione have stayed here, then see if you still want to visit Hogwarts."

"I could really go?"

"These magical people know even less about us than we do about them. Harry and Hermione are trying to change that. Starting next term, normal families of magical children will be able to visit. There will also be lessons to teach them about normal people. Emma and Dan will be teaching that, purely part time of course. I can do some teaching too, if I want…"

She left that last part hanging, waiting to see what kind of response she got. Vernon finally gave her one. "I'm fine with you returning to this place next weekend, it's clearly important." Vernon was gesturing at the newspaper though still managed to catch Dudley's eye and wink - they would be eating out again for Dudley's second weekend home from school. There were some cakes on that sweet trolly that they simply didn't have the room left today to do justice.

"I can see we really have no choice but to let them stay with us for part of the summer, but I won't put up with any funny business. If I see any, then they're gone. After their visit, we'll see what happens."

This was probably more than Petunia could have hoped for. "The Grangers will be bringing them here, the neighbours won't notice a thing. Emma and Dan really are our kind of people, Vernon. If they can accept this, perhaps we can too."

She ruffled Dudley's hair one last time before reaching into her bag for the final surprise. "Harry wanted to apologise for what happened to Dudley, he really was very upset about it. He said all magicals are nuts, and muttered something about trying to raise a dragon in a wooden house. He didn't want us to be out of pocket, after having to pay a couple of thousand pounds for Dudley's surgery, so gave me this..."

Rather tentatively, Vernon took the bulging envelope from his wife. After opening it, his eyebrows got higher and higher. Eventually, Dudley couldn't stand it anymore.

"What's in the envelope, Dad?"

"Money."

"Cool - how much?"

Letting out a low whistle after finishing counting, Vernon gave Dudley the total. "About five thousand pounds..."

"He asked a magical friend to pop down to London and get it for him, I had no idea how much was in the envelope though. That's over twice what it cost for Dudley's surgery..."

Already doing the sums in his head, Vernon nodded to Petunia before reaching a decision. "I didn't know if we would be able to afford a holiday this year, we can now. Where do we want to go?"

This had the Dursley household very excited, and Petunia was left thinking that things couldn't have gone much better. She had always known Lily was smarter than her, but Petunia wasn't by any means stupid. Starting with that first invitation to afternoon tea with Emma, the advantages of her family accepting magic - and Harry - had been emphasised at every opportunity. Today, Vernon and Dudley were getting their first real taste of those advantages.

The very first time Petunia had met Emma for tea, she had laboured the point that Harry and Hermione staying here for part of the summer would be beneficial to the Dursley family. Petunia now knew that to be true, her family could and would benefit from accepting both her nephew and his magic. Harry was the one with options now, and the Dursleys would have to welcome the young couple as a family.

Today, for the first time, she thought they might actually have a chance of achieving that. Considering the alternative left them open to attack by murdering magical madmen, Petunia would do her damnedest to see that they did.

-oOoOo-

After the poison in Ron's body had been neutralised, it was simply a matter of observation before he was allowed home. Sunday therefor saw him sitting in the Burrow's living room with a glass of pumpkin juice in his hand. He'd been pampered by everyone since regaining consciousness, Ron had no idea that situation was about to come to an abrupt end.

When his mum, dad and sister sat down too, Ron still didn't spot the danger signs. Even after his father began asking questions, Ron didn't think he'd be in any trouble. After all, he'd almost died. That should see the pampering continue for at least the rest of the summer.

"Ron, why did you go into that room? Dumbledore himself had warned everyone it was very dangerous to do so, and students should not go anywhere near it?"

"I figured out it was some sort of test, to see if anyone was brave enough to take it on. We all needed to show how brave we were to be accepted back into Gryffindor. I guessed there would be some kind of treasure at the end of the tests too, and I must have been right. Why else would you-know-who be after it?"

"If there was a Hogwarts house for the stupid, you'd already be a prefect…"

Her father's glance in Ginny's direction silenced her, before he asked Ron another question. "What happened as you confronted the traps?"

"There was already music playing, so the three-headed dog was sleeping. We slipped past and jumped down the trapdoor. It was pitch black down there and then I felt something trying to strangle me. Seamus panicked and nearly roasted all of us, the plant actually threw him away."

Ron was trying to give the impression that, had Seamus not panicked, he would have somehow saved the day. None of his current audience were buying into that.

"Why did you leave an injured classmate lying there?"

"The music playing beside the three headed dog meant someone else was already down there. Dad, we couldn't let some one else beat us to the treasure, we had to push on..."

"...and the boy you sacrificed at the chess match?"

"It would have taken too long for all of us to go on. Sometimes, in chess, you need to sacrifice pieces to win the match."

Arthur exploded at that. "This was not a game, Ron. The Finnigan boy almost died, while the other one received a serious concussion."

"Hey, I almost died too, you know. I was the one facing you-know-who, and doing fine until Potter showed up - trying to hog all the glory."

Ginny had seen for herself that neither Harry nor Hermione were interested in glory, she couldn't let that last comment pass. "You nearly died because you Ignored Professor Dumbledore's orders. You then drank unknown potions, even after being warned some of them were poisons. Only in Ronald Weasley's world does pissing your robes in fear count as doing fine. You could have gotten six people killed…"

Pulling his upset daughter into a hug, Arthur was at a loss over what to do with his son. Once again, Ron didn't think he'd done anything wrong. "I was in Hogwarts yesterday and spoke with the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall. You will not be returning to Hogwarts this term, and there will be a meeting shortly to decide if you'll be returning at all."

Ron was ready to object but the stern stare from his father silenced him.

"While all your exam results aren't in yet, both said you were failing their classes..."

It had been hard for Molly to do as her husband had requested and let him deal with this matter. Hearing that though set her off. "How can you possibly fail a class that's being taught by Albus Dumbledore? Don't you realise how lucky you are?"

"Hey, he's only teaching the class because Potter's in it..."

"Ronald, you will go to your room and stay there until called for." Arthur then picked up today's Prophet and shoved it at his son. "If you want something to read, this will do."

The headline was enough for Ron's temper to let go. "They're giving Potter and Granger an Order of Merlin? What do I get? I was down there too..."

"They were there purely to rescue some really stupid children who were in way over their heads. I also heard them try to refuse these awards, thinking they didn't deserve them. The only person who went down there looking for glory was you. That you seemed prepared to sacrifice your classmates to get it sickens more people than just me. You ask what do you get out of this, I fear you're going to get exactly what you deserve. At the moment your choices would appear to be either getting expelled from Hogwarts, or being resorted and repeating first year - a first year you would seem to have already both socially and academically failed."

A thoroughly deflated Ron slowly made his way up the stairs. The newspaper clutched in his hands and Ginny's groan of 'I hope he's not in the same classes as me' ringing in his ears.

-oOoOo-

That same edition of the Prophet was clutched in another pair of hands. Sirius would walk up and down his hospital room for a few minutes before sitting back down to read parts of it over again. While overjoyed at the information he was reading about his godson, it actually threw up a whole new set of questions - and he hadn't gotten answers to his old ones yet.

When his visitor entered, Sirius practically pounced on her. "Ami - did you see Harry? Did you ask him about living with me? What did he say?"

"Slow down, Sirius. You seem to be feeling better…"

"There's no way I won't be at this award ceremony…"

She just smiled at him. "Sirius, I already told Harry that. He's really looking forward to meeting you. Now sit, and we can discuss what was said."

This got Sirius sitting, but right on the edge of his seat.

"Harry was there with his family…"

"Family? Harry doesn't have any family."

"His aunt was there, Lily's sister…"

"Lily's sister was at Hogwarts? Who gave Harry to her? He was supposed to come to me…"

"Sirius, you need to calm down - otherwise the healers will keep you here longer. This is also going to take all bloody day if you don't stop interrupting. Let me tell you what I know, then we can try answering those questions. Okay?"

After Sirius nodded, Amelia continued. "Harry's Aunt was there, so too were the Grangers - his intended's muggle parents. They're nice people, Sirius, and have really accepted Harry into their family. Harry and Hermione are spearheading changes that will allow other muggle families to visit Hogwarts as well, they really are quite a couple. They're also planning to spend some time staying with their best friend, Neville Longbottom, over the summer."

"Frank and Alice's boy?" Amelia's nod had Sirius smiling. Her next comment just amplified the intensity of that smile.

"In amongst all that, Harry wants to be able to spend some time with his godfather. You had better plan on Hermione being there too though, that pair are pretty much inseparable."

"She'll be more than welcome. Seeing that picture of Harry in his quidditch uniform - he looks so much like a mini James. Read the story however and you can tell there's a lot of his mother in him."

"Taking their ages into consideration, you would think they were too young to be together. Then you spend some time with the couple and discover they're very serious about each other. I've been impressed by both since our first meeting. Hermione certainly looks nothing like Lily Potter, sometimes though it feels like you're talking to her and James. It really would be a terrible shame to lose them both…"

There was no way Sirius wasn't going to interrupt that. "Excuse me, Amelia. Before you say anymore, I'm going to need you to explain that last remark."

The fact he'd called her Amelia told the Head of the D.M.L.E. this was a serious Sirius she was facing here. She told him all about Harry's accident, the attack by Snape and what the consequences were. She also explained they had been livid about the attack on Hermione's home, and the fact they couldn't do anything about it.

"Both have been looking at other schools abroad, and Augusta Longbottom has even consented to her grandson joining his two best friends if they leave. As you can imagine, we're all desperate to keep the young couple in Britain. Hopefully your release will help with that too."

Sirius had listened to the tale with growing anger, he let some of that show in his answer. "My family disowned me, my ministry imprisoned me, my country condemned me as the evilest of wizards. If my godson decides to leave this country, my main aim will be ensuring his godfather is included in the group that's moving out. I'm sorry, Ami, my only concern in this matter is Harry's happiness. Hearing from you my godson told Voldemort to fuck off makes me prouder than I can say. That he then had the magic and moves to back those words up says to me he shouldn't be letting anyone control him - be that the ministry or any individuals."

"I'm sorry too, Sirius, if you though that wasn't what I also wanted. What I was alluding to is that all the major influences in Harry's life currently have little or no links to the magical community. All I was hoping for was that you, as his godfather, could show Harry some wizarding culture. Augusta is holding lessons every Sunday in Hogwarts to help the new first year muggle born adapt. They have proven so successful that they will become part of the Hogwarts curriculum in September. Harry and Hermione proposed there be lessons in muggle culture for witches and wizards too. Albus and Minerva are taking that to the school board later this week. With Augusta also a member, they have a very good chance of getting it passed."

"I can work with that, Ami. In fact, I can make a start right now. Tell me what the arrangements are for this ceremony?"

-oOoOo-

Another wizard was also pacing up and down because of that newspaper. Unlike Sirius though, he had considerably less room to work with. Having been detained in a ministry holding cell until the poisoned boy was released from St Mungo's, Severus was then returned to Azkaban.

True to his word, Dumbledore had seen those two suspended years of sentence abolished. Severus' actual sentence was also reduced, but not by nearly as much as he would have liked. Being given a release date of November the first felt more like a token gesture for all his hard work. It was a gesture though he had every intention of accepting.

In his present situation, every little helped. So leaving Azkaban almost two months sooner than Severus expected was a bonus. It was the newspaper in his hand that had thrown his emotions into turmoil.

The Dark Lord had been in Hogwarts, possessing Quirrell. That his Lord didn't make his presence known to Severus was exceedingly worrying. He'd found himself trapped between the two most powerful wizards in the country. With Dumbledore's betrayal, Severus was forced to consider what he would do when his time in Azkaban was finally up. The fact that the Dark Lord sat next to him in Hogwarts and didn't acknowledge he was there could mean there was only a painful death awaiting him from that direction.

That the Potter brat had once more defeated the Dark Lord, this time in front of witnesses, was bad. That he and his mudblood were being awarded Orders of Merlin really stuck in his craw. The real sickener though was Black being found innocent and freed. In that one issue of the newspaper, it was almost as if the fates were deliberately piling on the shit to a still imprisoned Severus Snape.

He had just over four months of his sentence left to serve, Severus reckoned he might need every day of that to figure out what his next move would be. Whatever it was, it would need to be on pastures new. Severus Snape was finished in Britain.

-oOoOo-

Harry and Hermione found themselves being woken by Dobby, ready to begin their last week at Hogwarts. Dobby also had a letter for them.

"Mister Flamel was very surprised to receive your letter and package. He asked Dobby to wait while he wrote this reply."

As Harry was opening the letter, Hermione was thanking Dobby for his outstanding work. "When Harry told me Professor Dumbledore had destroyed the stone, it just didn't seem right that he got to make that decision. Nicolas and his wife have been around far longer than Dumbledore. They should be more than capable of making their own minds up, rather than someone else doing it for them."

"Wow, not only is he thanking us for returning the stone, they want to meet us too."

Passing the letter over to a now speechless Hermione, Harry kissed her cheek before heading to the room he shared with Neville to get ready to face the day.

Hermione was still stunned at that news as the trio made their way down to breakfast. There the owls had another surprise for them. Recognising the handwriting at once, Hermione encouraged Harry to open the letter.

"It's from Sirius. He says we need formal robes for this award ceremony, and plans to take us out of school on Friday to get them. We're going to Diagon Alley, our families are invited too - and Sirius is paying for everything. He wants us to contact them…"

At that, Hedwig flew into the hall and landed beside them. "She's such a clever owl, aren't you girl." The snowy owl just puffed out her chest, as if Hermione's suggestion was a fact beyond questioning.

"I'll write a quick note to mum and dad for Hedwig to deliver, they'll phone your Aunt Petunia. They were planning to come here on Friday night anyway."

While Hermione was penning their letter, Neville found himself being dragged away by Parvati. This allowed a smiling Harry to say what he wanted to.

"You seem more excited about meeting Sirius than I am."

"Sirius Black is the only person I ever met who loved you as much as I do, though I have to say both my parents are now catching him up. Yes I'm excited to see him, as a free wizard with a fresh start too. Think of a grown up Fred and George, you'll love him. Scratch that - I don't think Sirius ever grew up. I just hope he can forgive me if Sirius ever finds out we left him in there..."

"We got him out as soon as we could, love. He's a free man too, something he never had before."

A smile and peck on the lips from Hermione had both of them ready to face the day. They found themselves being approached by the headmaster just as they were getting ready to leave.

"I see you received a letter from Sirius. He wrote to me too, and you both now have permission to leave school on Friday. I also received a letter from an old friend this morning, it solved a mystery I was intending to speak to you both about. Getting past all the traps to remove the item, without me knowing anything about it, is quite the achievement. Then tracking down Nicolas and returning that item is outstanding work. I don't suppose you would care to tell me how you managed it?"

A smiling Hermione gave him an answer. "We had a little help, who took twenty seconds to bring the stone to us…"

With that they headed off to their first class, leaving a stunned headmaster behind. They were barely through the doors though when Dumbledore broke into loud laughter.

Albus certainly considered himself an intelligent wizard, and had just deciphered Hermione's 'little help' clue. Having the stone brought to them indicated someone else was involved. The time scale she mentioned, along with the use of the word little, pointed Albus in the right direction. Only a house elf, one who'd been given unrestricted access to the castle, could hope to accomplish the task in anything like that timeframe. It would certainly pass his own test when faced with the mirror. The elf would want the stone, but never even think about using it for itself.

What had Albus laughing was the sheer simplicity and audacity of the plan, alongside the knowledge this was a method that wouldn't even have occurred to Voldemort. He treated all sentient magical beings an nothing more than vermin, creatures that were beneath him. He would never trust a house elf with something of this importance.

He also thought this was Hermione's way of showing Albus they trusted him, by releasing a little more information. Now having time to digest the problem both had found themselves faced with, he still couldn't come up with a better solution than the one they hoped to use. They, and the stone, were safe in Gryffindor tower while Amelia and her aurors would have tackled a possessed Quirrell. It was only Mister Weasley's untimely intervention that saw their plan needing last minute changes. Albus knew he and Minerva would have to deal with that unpleasant situation soon, but not before Saturday. He would have to wear his own award at this inauguration of the two newest members to this rather exclusive club. He would enjoy Saturday, and celebrate everyone coming out of there alive, before facing a trip to the Burrow.

-oOoOo-

A nervous Sirius was finding it increasingly difficult to sit still in Dumbledore's office. When the door opened and Minerva led the two students in, he was finally face to face with his godson. He could only stare, while fighting back the tears.

"Sirius Black, lost for words? I never thought I would see the day." Minerva's intervention cut right through the tension and had everyone smiling.

Now standing, Sirius didn't know whether to offer his godson a handshake or hug him. "Hello Harry, I'm your godfather..."

Solving his dilemma, Harry went straight for a hug. "Pleased to meet you, and delighted we could help get you out of prison." He then stood back. "Where are my manners. Sirius, I'd like you to meet my intended, Hermione Granger."

Seeing Sirius standing there with that sparkle back in his eyes, and looking clean, barbered and somewhat healthy, she couldn't contain herself. Hermione almost hugged the life out of the person she had really missed, overjoyed that this time Sirius wouldn't have to hide from anyone. Harry covered for her slight lapse in character though.

"Hermione said she was looking forward to meeting someone who loved me almost as much as she does."

This put a huge grin on Sirius' face. "Oh, I like her already Harry. You seem to have inherited the Potters' knack of picking the very best witch. I loved your mother, and your grandmother was one of the nicest, kindest people I've ever met."

Dumbledore and McGonagall chuckling at that gave both Sirius and Hermione time to wipe their eyes. Then it was down to business for the Marauder.

"Your aunt and Hermione's parents are meeting us at King's Cross. The Headmaster has made us a portkey that will drop us off on Platform nine and three quarters, and also bring the six of us back to Hogwarts later. Are we ready to spend the day together, and do some shopping?"

With two quick yeses, it was a happy trio who portkeyed from the headmaster's office.

-oOoOo-

Emma was trying not to smile at the changes in Petunia since they first met for afternoon tea those months ago. Changes so pronounced that Petunia casually thanked Dobby for bringing her to Crawley as all three then headed for the train station. They left their overnight bags, knowing Dobby would take them to the castle when they were needed.

Petunia couldn't wait to tell them that the Dursleys were going abroad for their summer holidays. She had finally managed to convince Vernon to give it a try, since Harry was effectively paying for it. Their trip to Majorca would be the first time any of them had been abroad.

She also noticed there was no hesitancy in Petunia as she returned Harry's hug of greeting. "I'm sorry, Harry. Dudley and your Uncle Vernon aren't here. Dudley is very interested in visiting Hogwarts though, I hope we can arrange that for next term?"

Someone else who was watching this exchange closely was Sirius. He couldn't miss how Petunia's words seemed to mean the world to his godson. That Harry was also welcomed with open arms by Hermione's parents warmed the marauder's heart too. That Harry had a loving family around him lessened Sirius' own guilt at his failure carry out his godfather duties. It was time for more introductions.

"Hello Petunia. I'd like to thank you for raising Harry. He's such a fine young man, and most of that credit must go down to you and your family. Thank you so much for that."

Petunia was blushing, mostly in embarrassment, as Sirius them moved his attention and introductions to the Grangers.

It was a lovely summers day in London so they chose to walk the relatively short distance to the Leaky Cauldron, chatting away as they did so. Petunia couldn't wait to slip that the Dursleys were going abroad into the conversation, causing Harry to stop dead on the pavement.

"How did you ever convince Uncle Vernon to holiday anywhere else other than Britain?"

She rather sheepishly gave away her secret. "We're staying at a four star hotel, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are all buffet service..."

"...and both Uncle Vernon and Dudley love buffet service!" When Harry started chuckling, Petunia couldn't help but join in. This also gave Sirius the opening he was looking for.

"I know everyone is making plans for the summer, and I hope to spend some of that with Harry and Hermione. The Blacks though have an unplotable island in the Caribbean that I'm intending to spend time at over the next few months. If you haven't anything else arranged, everyone would be more than welcome to join me there."

"Your own private island?"

"Dan, my family weren't the nicest of people, which is why I ran away at sixteen. Harry's grandparents took me in. The Black island was originally used for smuggling, rum mostly. An unplotable island and 'notice me not' charms on the ships - it's what built my family's wealth. Then they decide they're purebloods - and hate muggles. They're all mad."

This had Dan chuckling. "Harry says most magical people are nuts, you're more like your godson than you think. We haven't booked anything yet, apart from wanting Neville to spend some of the holidays with us."

"Neville's more than welcome. I'm hoping to convince Ami Bones to spend some time there too, so Susan would likely be included as well. Is that alright with you?"

"That's fine with us, though Neville might get some grief from Parvati over it."

This had Harry laughing at Hermione's suggestion. "Oh I think we can move from 'might' to being an absolute certainty. Parvati's Neville's girlfriend, he kissed her and now she's planning their wedding. She would go mental at the thought of Susan there with Neville."

"Invite her too, the more the merrier. I visited Neville's parents while I was in hospital, we were all close friends. I can't imagine him going to Augusta and asking for advice on things like this. Tell him he can talk to me, if he wants."

It was Petunia who had to ask what had happened to the boy's parents. Hearing they had been tortured into insanity had her more determined than ever that Harry would be staying in Privet Drive over the summer.

Entering the Leaky Cauldron was a revelation for all of them, even Harry. He had no memory of his first visit with Hagrid, therefore no way to know that this time was actually worse. He found himself being mobbed by well wishers.

There were three muggles standing trying to get their heads around just how famous Harry Potter really was when something else was added into the equation. A wee old witch took Hermione's hand and began shaking it.

"Well done to you too, dearie. You were so brave. Then again, we knew you would need to be special to win our Harry's heart."

It took them twenty minutes to get from the pub to Diagon Alley, and then another fifteen to make it into the relative safety of Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. Sirius had made an appointment with the owner and she, knowing who and what these robes were required for, had her very best stock on display.

Petunia had been a mere spectator the day Lily had stood on the small pedestal and been measured for robes. Sirius insisting everyone was going to get robes today saw Petunia step onto that very same pedestal. It seemed like no time at all before she was then dressed in a beautiful sapphire blue robe. Petunia was admiring herself in the surrounding mirrors when she noticed two crests appearing on the garment. A puzzled look saw Sirius explain.

"This is a formal occasion so you should be identified as Harry's family. The crest on the top is the Potter family crest, with the Black one below it. Harry is not just my godson but my heir. He's the last remaining Potter and also next in line for the Black family too. Wearing those crests places you, Emma and Dan under the protection of both families. Hermione's ring already does that for her."

Petunia was beginning to feel rather self-conscious but spotting Emma in a dark maroon version of the same robes eased her mind. Sirius and Dan were now dressed in black while Harry and Hermione's robes displayed they were Gryffindors. The claret with gold piping also had their house crest on their sleeves, the Potter and Black versions taking pride of place on their chests.

Petunia, Emma and Dan also found themselves with a couple of more everyday robes each. Sirius' reasoning being they wouldn't stand out as much in Hogwarts if they were dressed pretty much the same as everyone else.

Sirius had originally intended they would spent some time shopping in Diagon Alley but the crowd now gathered outside Madam Malkin's made that idea a non starter. Spotting the press now amongst the crowd too, Sirius asked if they could use their portkey to leave from the shop. With the amount of business and publicity these customers had provided today, Madam Malkin felt that was the least she could do.

-oOoOo-

At breakfast on Saturday, it was announced a light lunch would be served in each of the four common rooms. This was to allow time for the Great Hall to be made ready for the awards ceremony at three o'clock.

In Gryffindor, there was far more excitement over Parvati, Lavender, Dean and Seamus being allowed to once more sport their Gryffindor colours than there was over Harry and Hermione's new dress robes. That all changed when they reached the still closed doors of the Great Hall, an incensed Draco ignored all instructions to stay away from Potter. He raced over and was in Harry's face.

"A mudblood has no right to wear the Black family crest. Get that removed, before I do it..." A loud and angry Draco was about to draw his wand when a hand clamped on his shoulder. As Hermione pushed herself in front of Harry to stop him reacting, Draco had turned his head to find himself facing a furious Sirius Black.

"Blond hair and an overly high opinion of themselves - an opinion you seem to think everyone should share. You can only be a Malfoy. By what right do you call Lord Potter's intended that disgusting name, and then make demands of him?"

Draco's own anger though fed off who else he spotted alongside Sirius, namely Dan, Emma and Petunia. "Filthy muggles wearing the Black crest too! I'm heir apparent to the House of Black and won't allow this disgraceful situation to continue."

"You're a jumped up son of a death eater who's too stupid to know how much trouble he's just put his family in, nothing more than that. Lord Potter is my godson, and chosen heir..."

"Potter's neither a lord nor a Black."

Turning to Augusta Longbottom, Sirius could only shake his head. The sarcasm though was dripping off every word he uttered. As more and more people were now waiting on the doors opening, most of the school heard what was said. "I can see why you want to make these new courses compulsory for everyone in first and second year. Some families are so busy pushing death eater dogma down their children's throats that they forget about teaching them what they're supposed to know."

Augusta had spent the morning talking with Sirius, Dan, Emma, Petunia and Minerva. Sorting out their summer plans, and also what they wanted to happen in Hogwarts come September. The school board had unanimously passed their ideas at the latest meeting and they now had a clear mandate to push this forward. Though they only had a rough schedule in place at the moment, Augusta took it upon herself to give Malfoy his first lesson.

"Being awarded Orders of Merlin immediately changed Harry and Hermione's status, they are now regarded as adults in our society. You just very publicly insulted Lord Potter, the future Lady Potter and both their families. The Malfoy family could and should face severe retribution for such public insults by their heir."

Minerva then gave Hogwarts opinion on what had just happened. "For using that disgusting word, I shall be contacting your parents and making my displeasure known. You will also be serving detention with Mister Filch every night until the express leaves next Saturday. The three adults wearing robes with the Potter and Black crests on them will be some of your teachers come September. A student addressing any of them in the manner Mister Malfoy just did will find themselves kicked out of Hogwarts."

While Draco was left reeling from this multiple assault, Sirius delivered the knockout blow. "Dorea Black was Harry's grandmother, thus easily allowing my godson to be named my heir. I would dump the entire Black fortune in the North Sea before I would let a Malfoy get their hands on it."

Taking out his wand, he then said the words that would ensure such drastic action would never be necessary. "I, Lord Sirius Orion Black, cast Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black - and any offspring she may have - from my family. So mote it be."

A totally shocked Draco could only fall back on his often repeated threat. "Wait until my father hears about this..."

"You can pass on a message from me too. While the D.M.L.E. might not be able to accept the evidence we have that he attacked the Grangers home, it's proof enough for me. These people are now clearly under the protection of my house. Your death eater father goes anywhere near them again, I'll call him out. Lucius Malfoy will soon discover the difference in facing an auror head to head, rather than him and a bunch of his costumed murdering friends ambushing helpless victims."

As the doors opened, Hermione was manoeuvring Harry through them. "He's not worth it, love. What Sirius just did will hurt Malfoy a lot more than you punching his face in."

"You're right, Hermione, but punching the prat would certainly have made me feel better."

As everyone made their way into the hall, Draco was left standing there with only Pansy, Vince and Greg for company. A nervous Pansy asked what he was going to do now.

"I'm certainly not going to sit and watch as the Minister of Magic fawns over Potty and his mudblood. They've just stolen my inheritance, and no one does that to a Malfoy. I'll need to write to my father, he needs to know what happened." Draco stormed away, leaving the other three to follow in his wake.


	17. Plan B

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 17 - Plan B**

They walked into the Great Hall, one that looked rather strange without the four obligatory house tables commandeering most of the available space. Rows of seats had replaced the usual Hogwarts furniture, with the decorating banners all featuring Merlin's Dragon Symbol. Hermione was gradually winning the battle to calm Harry while leading him down the aisle toward their reserved seats at the front, only for Harry to stop suddenly as if poleaxed.

"Oh shit! Hermione, I can't accept this award. I need to talk to Dumbledore, and the Minister of Magic."

Despite the ministry flunky first trying to cajole before resorting to ordering them into taking their seats immediately, Harry simply refused to move - or say any more on the matter until speaking with the right people. Eventually McGonagall interceded, leading Harry, Hermione and their families into a small anteroom to await the two individuals he was so desperate to see.

It wasn't long before Albus and a rather flustered Minister arrived. "What seems to be the problem here. We have a lot of invited people waiting you know…" Cornelius nearly said press, which was who he really meant. It didn't pay to keep them waiting.

"Minister, I'm really sorry but I have to refuse this award."

Thinking again of those members of the press, and how they would report this, a shocked Cornelius needed about three attempts to ask Harry why he was doing this.

"I really am sorry and should have thought of this sooner. It's not the award I have a problem with, Minister, rather what it will do to me. Accepting an Order of Merlin makes me an adult…"

The knut finally dropped for Albus. "…which will remove all the protection from your Aunt's house."

"Yes Sir, and Sirius just heaped a pile of shit onto the Malfoys. Lucius will be livid, just as the wards at Privet Drive disappear. I can't have that."

It was a relieved Cornelius who offered the obvious solution. "You're right, Harry, that problem should have been anticipated - with a solution already in place. We can have new wards erected there within hours, and also have those wards monitored too - just like the Grangers."

Seeing Harry was still troubled, he was actually trembling, Hermione moved directly in front of her intended and gently held his face. Looking right into his eyes, she quietly attempted to reassure him. "We can have the house watched until those wards are up. Any danger at all, your uncle and cousin can be instantly taken to my house. The new wards will soon protect them…"

It was then Hermione discovered the real reason behind Harry's fear. "…but they wouldn't need me to stay there then."

The look of desperate loss in Harry's eyes was breaking Hermione's heart, mainly because she couldn't do a thing about it. There was really only one person present who could.

No one in the room could miss just how close these two were, with Petunia left hoping her Dudley managed to find someone half as nice as Hermione when he started looking for a girlfriend. Through Harry, Petunia now felt closer to her sister than at any time since Lily boarded that magical train as an eleven year old. Just like then, she had a decision to make. Petunia now considered the decision she'd reached as a teenager to be the wrong one, a decision that had subsequently impacted on more than just her life.

Here she was faced with the choice of permanently walking away from her nephew and magic, or accepting both into her life. Accepting this Harry, while trying to become the aunt he deserved - the aunt Lily would have expected her big sister to be. Harry was unquestionably a different boy from the one they took to King's Cross last September, and the Dursleys had unbelievably been given a second chance to be a family to him. Petunia decided to take that chance, though wouldn't be telling Vernon or Dudley that they didn't need to take Harry into their home just yet.

The young couple were holding onto each other with their foreheads resting together, waiting for the hammer to fall. Petunia slipped her arms around the couple before kissing both of them on their cheeks.

"Harry and Hermione, you are both invited to our house for the summer. That hasn't - and won't - change. Now let's go do this, or did we all get dressed up for nothing?"

Two now relieved and smiling children hugging Petunia left her certain she'd just made the right decision.

Harry turned to the Minister and apologised for the drama. "Sorry about that, Sir. Now I know my family will be safe, I'll happily accept this award."

Cornelius was beyond relieved, mainly at not now looking a fool in front of the invited guests - and especially the press. He was also unsurprisingly in quite a forgiving mood. "That's fine, Harry. There's no need to apologise for worrying about your family's safety. We'll get everything sorted right after the ceremony. Let's take our seats and get that ceremony stared."

Sirius then tried to apologise to Harry and Hermione for almost wasting their day, only to find himself being thanked instead.

"If you hadn't done that to Malfoy, it would never have occurred to me the wards would be pulled down. My family would then have been left defenceless, so thanks Sirius."

"I was always going to chuck Cissi and her even crazier sister out of the Black family. When the opportunity presented itself to poke both male Malfoys in the eye too, I just couldn't resist."

Hermione chuckling at that saw a lot of tension leave the family. If she was chuckling then things must be back to normal.

It was a thoughtful Albus who followed on behind. He'd kept his promise to the youngsters and had not used legilimency on any of their family. It was impossible to miss the undercurrents though that produced the bout of emotional turmoil Harry just experienced. Simply from observing, Albus could see that the relationship between Harry and his aunt was strained - something all three Grangers were obviously aware of. Taking Harry's memory loss into consideration, adding his uncle and cousin's non appearance here today, and Albus was forming a picture he didn't much like.

With Minerva just informing him of the plans for the new courses, Petunia's involvement in them and Draco Malfoy's outburst - Albus thought there may be a way to nudge things further along the direction the young couple obviously wanted them to go. Looking at the robes the group were wearing also provided Albus with some inspiration, inspiration on how to begin fixing a problem that had existed for generations. For Albus, there was no time like the present to put those new ideas into practice.

As the hall settled, with everyone now in their seats, Albus strode toward the podium to speak.

"This is a momentous day for Hogwarts, and two of our youngest students. With the eyes of our nation on our school, I can't think of a better time to make a couple of announcements before we get to the real reason we are all here today."

That had Cornelius worried at just what was going on, and hoping Dumbledore's announcements wouldn't overshadow what he himself intended to say next.

"Starting in September, Hogwarts first and second years will be attending a new class. This class is designed to better prepare all our students to deal with the myriad of cultural differences that they face - both inside and then outside these walls. One week, they will be studying the proud heritage and culture of magical Britain. The following week will see that focus shift to the culture and customs of non magical Britain. This biweekly cycle will repeat for their first two years spent attending Hogwarts. For far too long we have expected those joining us from non magical backgrounds to integrate into our culture, without teaching them what that culture actually is. At the same time, we have ignored their culture and views. This is our attempt to readdress both those issues, and hopefully we will all learn together from these experiences. A word of warning however. The type of behaviour and views expressed by a student just before we entered the hall will not be tolerated within these walls."

Everyone listening understood what first year Slytherin was being referred to, and also exactly what the headmaster was saying. A line had just been drawn, a line there would be consequences of crossing. Since these classes only affected the current and new first years, no one really wanted to make an issue of it. The headmaster's next proposal though affected everyone.

"As I said, this is a proud day for Hogwarts. When I look at the beautiful robes Lord Potter and his intended are wearing though, nowhere is there any indication of this. This is no slight on them, rather an oversight on this ancient institution. While they proudly wear their Gryffindor allegiance on their robes, I wonder if they would indulge me for a moment, and allow a small alteration?"

Neither Hermione nor Harry had a clue what Dumbledore was up to but gave their permission. Albus' wand soon had the Hogwarts crest above that of Gryffindor on the sleeve of their robes.

"Students are rightly proud of the house they are sorted into but I feel that, over many, many years, we have lost sight of the bigger picture. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Gryffindor - you are all Hogwarts students. Today's event brings honour not just to a quarter of our school, but to all of it. Yes by all means be proud of your house but also remember, your house is part of a greater whole. To help us all remember this, we need a slight change in tradition."

With another wave of his wand, students found their house crest being moved to the sleeve of their robes. Its former prominent position being taken by the school crest, featuring a lion, badger, eagle and snake.

Their were loud gasps coming from the crowd before the sound of applause began to drown them out. McGonagall was the first on her feet and clapping, she was soon followed by the other three heads of house. Augusta led the way for the school board by showing her appreciation of this move with Hufflepuffs throughout the hall being the first students to demonstrate their acceptance of this change. The idea of every student in Hogwarts wearing a badger on their robes really appealed to them. Ravenclaws could see the good ideas behind this move and they too soon publicly supported it.

Without the house tables restricting their location, the students were scattered throughout the hall. Lee was surprised to see the Gryffindor friends he was sitting beside, Fred and George, also stand and applaud.

"You support this? Wearing a snake on our robes..."

"I saw Harry and Hermione stand, that's good enough for us."

George proved though there was always method in their madness. "Beside, if we all stand - who does that leave sitting?"

A grinning Lee then joined his two friends, standing and applauding the changes.

As Dumbledore left the podium, a once more happy minister took the headmaster's vacated spot. Cornelius gave the applause a moment to die down before beginning his own speech.

"Before I say any more, can I add my support to the latest Hogwarts initiative. The two young people we're all here to honour today may have saved four of their housemates, but does anyone doubt those house affiliations affected their decision to rescue them? No, they would have acted nomatter whowas in danger."

Quite pleased with his opening remarks, Cornelius then began to give his prepared speech. A hall full of students, staff, school board members and invited guests had no choice but to sit and listen.

-oOoOo-

The surprise Cissi expressed at receiving an unscheduled owl from Draco rapidly turned to shock while reading his letter. She'd been cast out of her family, and disinherited.

There were unnoticed tears streaking her cheeks as Cissi's thoughts traveled back all those years. She was sixteen and infatuated with the handsome Lucius Malfoy. That his father was actively trying to arrange a marriage between them helped fuel that infatuation. Her great uncle, and Head of the Black family at the time, wouldn't hear of it though.

"Jumped-up, Frog, swindlers who had to flee France with their tails between their legs..." The Head of the Black Family also doubted the Malfoys' claims of being purebloods, a claim marriage into the House of Black would certainly add credence and credibility to.

She had been resisting all other offers of marriage though her age would see her being forced by her family to accept one soon. Then, the miracle happened. Her older sister, Andi, had also resisted all offers of marriage sent to the family. Andi though had just done the unthinkable, she'd run away and married a muggleborn.

Compared to a muggleborn, her uncle thought marriage to a Malfoy was eminently more respectable. Her Head of Family finally agreed the match. A formal courtship began, followed by a lavish and grand wedding when she was nineteen. Everything in her life was perfect, except for one thing. For years of their marriage, there was no heir to the Malfoy family.

When Lucius became more and more embroiled with the Dark Lord, his interest in her while occupying their marriage bed became less and less. With only Andi of the three Black sisters having so far given birth, Lucius' taunts and barbs that perhaps he married the wrong sister cut deeper every single time. As they celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary, it was only Cissi's conviction that she was a member of a proud house, Black rather than Malfoy, that kept her going. Then, at the age of twenty five, her world was complete - she finally gave birth to a son. Their happiness was almost irreversibly damaged however when baby Harry Potter then defeated the Dark Lord

Being able to portray himself as a loving family man with a young son certainly helped Lucius keep himself out of Azkaban. That, and a lot of gold changing hands. The years following that debacle had been happy ones, though the same trouble that almost cost them so much appeared to be raising its ugly head again.

She was reaching that stage in her live where, in a couple of years, Cissi would have been a Malfoy as long as she had been a Black. There was no doubt which one she considered herself though, and that knowledge had helped sustain her through the bad times of her marriage. Now that was taken away from her, and also from her son. Cissi didn't know how to deal with this blow. A raging Lucius storming into the room wasn't going to help.

Seeing the letter in his wife's hands, and also her emotional state, Lucius reached the right conclusion. "I take it you have just heard from our son? Did the whining little git tell you how he single-handedly managed to get both you and him expelled from the Black family? I'm willing to make a large wager he didn't. I've just had McGonagall on the floo, listing Draco's numerous failings - like those failings were my fault."

Just when Cissi thought the situation couldn't get any worse, Lucius' anger was telling her it was about to.

"Handing Potter this ridiculous award also makes him an adult in our society. He turned up to receive this award with the Potter and Black crests on his robes. This should have warned even an imbecile what the situation was, but not Draco. As you would expect, Potter's intended's robes also displayed the same house associations. Our son then made a spectacle of himself, insisting loudly that the bitch should remove it at once. He proclaimed, in front of hundreds of witnesses, that no mudblood would ever wear the crest of a house he was heir to. Even Lord Black explaining the situation wasn't enough to deter our son from his rant. He then proceeded to insult Lord Potter, heir apparent to Lord Black, further by publicly calling his family filthy muggles."

Cissi was aghast at this development. Whatever you privately thought about someone, there were social niceties that breeding demanded be displayed in public - especially at social occasions.

"I am now left with only two options. Write a formal letter of apology from House Malfoy to Houses Black and Potter, or disown the little git too."

This really shocked Cissi, understanding at once what the implications were. Her husband then spelled it out to her, so there could be no misunderstandings.

"Our marriage was arranged so the Black name could bolster that of Malfoy. It was always known I could never inherit the Black name or fortune, but any sons of ours perhaps could. Draco has now totally destroyed that possibility, and also brought disgrace to the Malfoy name. Since you have been thrown from the Black family, that would certainly be grounds for annulling our marriage contract. I am seriously considering doing so, and then siring another Malfoy heir with a new wife."

As the blows kept coming, Cissi didn't think pointing out that the disgrace Lucius had already heaped on his family name was much worse than this - a mere child's indiscretion. With the damage Lucius had done to his own standing in their society, Cissi also knew the chances of her husband finding another proper pureblood from a good family to marry him had greatly reduced.

"Since starting Hogwarts, Draco has been a major disappointment. If I hadn't already purchased the brooms for Slytherin House, I would simply scrap that entire idea. I now have to consider what situation is worse between the Malfoy donation of brooms and our son still can't get himself selected, or Draco being seeker on a losing Slytherin team. Whatever the outcome, I'm going to have to sit there and watch. I would consider sending him to Durmstrang in September but I fear that experience would break him. Draco doesn't have the guile or strength to stand up for himself at Hogwarts, what chance would he have at Durmsrtang?"

Cissi was used to letting Lucius simply rant away, knowing he would eventually run out of steam. That was not to be the case this time though.

"If I have to write an apology to those houses, Draco is going to pay for it all summer. Our son is soft and stupid, not traits I would allow someone possessing to inherit House Malfoy..."

She was out her seat, standing in front of her husband with both hands on his chest. "Please, Lucius. He's still a boy. Draco needs time..."

Lucius' hands closed over her slim wrists and forced Cissi to her knees in front of him. "I'm prepared to give Draco next year at Hogwarts - no more. This will only happen if there are drastic changes around here..."

She was left with no option but to nod and lower her head. Being cast out of the Black Family left Cissi with nowhere else to go. She was a Malfoy now, for better or worse. Should Lucius choose to terminate their marriage, she and Draco would be left without any family name whatsoever.

-oOoOo-

Hermione awoke with the feeling she was being watched, she was right. Harry was awake, turned facing her with his head resting in his hand - elevated and supported by his elbow.

"Good morning, beautiful. How is the most precious person in the world to me this fine morning?"

This had Hermione wide awake. "What's wrong? Did you have another memory dream? Oh I thought you might, after what happened yesterday. What was it this time? Please don't tell me you remembered staying at Privet Drive - we're just beginning to get that sorted..."

Hermione was stopped from saying any more by Harry leaning down and capturing her lips. "I really don't deserve you. Not after all the hurt I've caused you - over a stupid bloody broom too..."

"Oh, is that all?"

"All? I looked at you, could see the heartbreak it was causing too, and I did nothing..."

"Harry, every time I look at you I see exactly who I want to spend the rest of my life with. There is nothing we can do about what happened then, and I honestly think we're two different people now. We're much more mature..."

"I don't know about that. Yesterday, when I thought I was going to lose my family forever, I felt like a lost little boy. You were there for me again..."

"...and we'll be there for each other for the rest of our lives. Are you disappointed the Dursleys won't be coming to Sirius' island?"

After thinking for a minute, Harry was able to answer honestly. "Not really. While I think Aunt Petunia would have coped, magic, on top of being abroad for the first time, would have been too much for Uncle Vernon and Dudley. Even as an eighteen year old, none of us had ever been abroad. It's just bad luck they had already booked for the same time."

"It's Neville's first time outside Britain too. It kinda makes me realise how lucky I've been. I just thought everyone went abroad for their holidays."

Smiling at his intended, he asked a question that he thought Hermione might have a better idea of. "Do you think Neville will ask Parvati to join us for a week?"

"If he doesn't, then I think they'll be over. There's no way Neville will be able to keep this to himself, or that he's allowed to invite Parvati for some of the holiday. It's whether he wants them to be over that will make Neville's mind up. Inviting Parvati on holiday will move their relationship to a different level of commitment, one I'm not sure Neville is ready for."

"I saw Parvati eyeing up the Potter and Black house crests on your robes, she seems really keen to have the Longbottom crest on hers one day..."

"...which is exactly why Neville might not ask her. Neville can't ask her as a friend as everyone, especially Parvati, would be reading more into it."

"I assume she's not invited to Crawley?"

This time Hermione was a lot more certain. "Not a chance. That will be Neville, and his gran's time to learn about our society. Just taking them a walk down Crawley High Street should be enough to blow their minds. Neville spending the week in my house should really open his eyes."

"I'm looking forward to staying at Neville's too, then we're off to Privet Drive. What about Malfoy, do you think all these changes we've made will see him slipping the diary to someone else?"

"He might just keep hold of it, Harry. If so, then it will be time to talk to Dumbledore. We'll need to tell him more in September anyway."

Agreeing with that, Harry had more to add. "Dobby should keep us well informed of what's happening with the Malfoys. Best case scenario - he goes after me by slipping you the diary. Should we ask Dumbledore if he can buy some basilisk venom?"

"That's a great idea, love. It might be expensive but a drop should be enough to finish a horcrux. We can even tell Dumbledore what the basilisk venom is for, and bring any horcruxes we get our hands on to him to be destroyed."

"Your mum and dad will love that plan. The only thing I'm not looking forward to this summer is not being able to sleep with you. I've gotten rather addicted to snuggling into my intended every night."

This actually caught Hermione by surprise. "I never thought of that. We'll need to have separate beds on the island, at Neville's and your house. Unless Neville's gran stays the night in Crawley, you should be okay doing your usual and coming into my bed."

That cheered Harry up slightly. "Cool, I thought I was going to miss you for the entire summer..."

"We'll be spending every day of the summer together, but I know what you mean. Now, much as I hate to say it, we need to get up. We both have family to say goodbye to later."

-oOoOo-

Draco was meanwhile trying to stir up a revolt in Slytherin, with little - make that no - success. "How can you possibly wear robes with that hated symbol on them? I for one won't."

The response from the rest of the house was swift and predictable. "You're already in detention every night this week, Malfoy, so you can do whatever you want. Things can't get any worse for you. Don't go dragging the rest of us into this."

One of the sixth years then really twisted the knife. "You should be wearing the Gryffindor lion on your robes anyway, you've charged right into situations like a Gryffindor all year. The only difference is, they occasionally win their arguments."

With the rest of the house now laughing at him, Draco swore he would never wear the altered robes. Even Pansy pointing out that he wouldn't be able to take classes without wearing them didn't sway his opinion.

They had potions tomorrow with Dumbledore. Since the school badge now being prominently displayed on their robes was Dumbledore's idea, there was no way the Headmaster was going to allow Draco to flout the new Hogwarts dress code.

Pansy could see it wasn't just the Black inheritance Draco had lost, any respect within Slytherin the Malfoy name had given him was also gone. After his latest declaration, the chances of Draco regaining any of that respect were nil. The Slytherin thing to do would be to keep your head down and not draw any unwanted attention, not do the exact opposite by setting off on a crusade already doomed to failure.

-oOoOo-

Hermione and Harry were saying goodbye to their family, all of whom were heading home with newspapers full of their awards ceremony. A portkey took the Grangers and Petunia to Crawley while Sirius disapparated away from Hogwarts. Turning to reenter the castle wards, neither Hermione nor Harry could miss the sight of a contrite Hagrid standing waiting on them.

"I'm really sorry fer what I did tae yer cousin, Arry."

"Hagrid, muggle boys don't naturally grow pig's tails. My aunt and uncle were forced to take Dudley to a private hospital where he had to undergo a painful and expensive operation..."

"What? A simple 'finite incantatem'...oh."

"Yes - oh. They not only didn't know that, who was going to perform the spell for them? You risked breaching the statute of secrecy and, from someone who's already banned from doing magic, you seem determined to arrange a trip to Azkaban for yourself. Are you that keen to study those poor misunderstood dementors?"

The shudder of fear that passed through their large friend told them Harry had made his point. "Don' even joke about tha', Arry. They really are monsters. I got a little saved. Ain't much but it might help pay fer me mistake..."

Harry shook his head. "I already took care of that. The real damage is more my family were already afraid of magic, you made that fear a lot worse. Hermione and I now need to try and show them magic is not something to be feared, rather a talent that can be used for good too."

Thinking back to his memory dream from last night, Harry felt able to pass on some good advice. "We all make mistakes, Hagrid. It's learning from those mistakes - and not doing it again - that's the important thing. No more tails, and no more baby dragons?"

"I've learned my lesson, an' thanks again. I was so proud o' yeh two yesterday, had ter wipe tears from me eyes. Anyway, I got yeh a little present. Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos… knew yeh didn' have any… d'yeh like it?"

Recognising what Hagrid was handing her intended put a wide smile on Hermione's face. She hadn't mentioned this event to Harry, and the surprise was worth it. Watching as one of the most important friendships in Harry's life started repairing itself meant she would be smiling for the rest of the day.

-oOoOo-

Rather than make a grand entrance, Draco slinked into potions class as soon as the door opened. He also claimed a seat as near the back of the classroom as possible. It was all to no avail though, Dumbledore called him on his lack of school robe while taking the class register.

"Mister Malfoy, your attire doesn't seem to adhere with the standard of dress code set by this school. Kindly go and rectify this oversight at once."

Trying not to show he was shaking, Draco answered the headmaster. "It isn't a mistake..."

"Mister Malfoy, trust me when I say you would be making a grave mistake in pushing this any further. Since you are already assigned detention for the remainder of this term, my only additional disciplinary option is to send you directly home. After your debacle on Saturday concerning Lords Black and Potter, I would have thought giving your parents as much time as possible to calm themselves before you returned home was the wisest option to choose. You can either leave and change, or leave and wait outside my office - I will then take you home when this class is over. Leave this class now, and if you've not returned within ten minutes I will simply assume you've chosen the home option."

Draco strode out of the classroom, quietly closing the door behind him before breaking into a run to his dorm. The angry letters he'd received from both his mother and father meant the Headmaster taking him home today was absolutely the last thing Draco wanted to happen at the moment. His parents were so angry, Draco would be happy to stay away from home until Christmas.

No one was surprised when a now properly dressed Draco quietly slipped back into the class, well within the ten minutes he'd been allocated. It would seem the revolution against the new design of school robes was over before it even got started. Dumbledore just accepted Draco's return, not breaking his lesson with the class to even remark on it.

Hanging back after class, Harry and Hermione waited to talk with Dumbledore.

"Your Aunt's house is now warded the same as Miss Granger's. Since Halloween, I've tended to think of you both as adults. That is the only excuse I can give for not anticipating that particular outcome of your award."

"Thank you, Professor, but it was something else we wanted to talk to you about."

Picking up from her intended's opening, Hermione then managed to shock the great Albus Dumbledore. "In the summer before, one of the items you had suspected of existing made an appearance. It was a miracle no one was killed, but Harry and I don't intend to let things get anywhere near that level this time. Could you acquire some basilisk venom? A drop or two should put an end to any of these items we find."

"We were hoping you could dispose of any we get hold of. That would certainly please Hermione's parents, though I have no intention of telling my family anything about them."

Needing a steadying deep breath before he could answer, Albus quickly agreed to everything they asked. He then had a question though. "Is this not breaking your oath, not to reveal any information of the future to me?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Hermione answered as honestly as possible. "We have deliberately changed things so much that what happens from now on is really unpredictable. We only have knowledge of one of these items, apart from the one now missing from Harry. There are contingency plans in place in case things change but we hope to get hold of it by the end of summer. Come September, I'd hoped the three of us could sit down and discuss what we do next."

"Have things really changed so much?"

Hermione decided to give the headmaster some examples. "The item that we hope to get our hands on this summer actually made its way into Hogwarts, and the Chamber of Secrets was opened again. No bloody way is Harry having to go back down there. Next summer, Sirius Black would break out of Azkaban - after seeing a picture of Ron Weasley with Scabbers. Sirius wanted to protect Harry while the ministry surrounded Hogwarts with Dementors. They had a kiss on sight order for Sirius but those monsters weren't too fussy who they grabbed."

Albus found himself holding onto the potions bench, needing the support to remain standing. "I knew things must have been bad if I helped you achieve the incredible feat you accomplished. I didn't realise just how bad..."

"To be honest, Sir, those were only the warm up years. Things then got a lot worse..."

"Oh Merlin!"

"Now perhaps you'll understand why we changed so much. Looking at how things eventually turned out, we really couldn't make things any worse than they had gotten."

That his worst fears apparently hadn't come close to how bad things had become saw Albus reinforce his promise to help these two any way he could. "You both really deserve those medals you got presented with on Saturday. Just coming back deserves Orders of Merlin. I have to believe that dreadful outcome you witnessed can be avoided."

"So do we, Sir. The new classes for first and second year will see Muggle Studies having to be totally revamped. Hermione showed me the course and it's ludicrous. With what we heard being planned, next September will have students knowing more about the subject than the professor teaching it. Hermione and I will do our best to shape the future into one we all would like to see, but the magical community have to want these changes. If things start getting anywhere near as bad as they were last time, we had to promise Dan and Emma we would grab our families and run. If magical Britain is determined to self destruct, the three of us would be helpless to stop it."

Taking a moment to centre his thoughts, Albus nodded to confirm Harry's last point was sadly correct. "I really appreciate the trust you have shown me here today. Not only have you given me a glimpse of one possible future, but some idea of the timescale involved too. By working together, I can only hope we three can help build a future where Tom and his death eaters become nothing more than footnotes in the history of our country."

That was something they could all hope for. After that rather intense conversation, sitting down to lunch at the Gryffindor table provided some light relief. Neville had asked Parvati to Sirius' holiday island. To say she was pleased would be a gross understatement. Neville though had taken Sirius' advice and invited Parvati's twin sister too. This way he wasn't spending a week on holiday with just his girlfriend, Padma would be there as a buffer, chaperon and anything else that stopped her twin sister expecting a ring like Hermione's before they were a lot older.

When Susan Bones approached them, saying her aunt had accepted an invitation from Sirius too, Harry and Hermione were delighted. Both wondered what the relationship was between Sirius and Amelia. With Sirius being a wanted criminal the last time, and Amelia head of the department trying to catch him, Hermione had to confess no knowledge of the pair. This time, with Sirius a free man, things were clearly different.

Harry remembered Hermione telling him Amelia had been murdered, leaving Susan to become Malfoy's plaything - until she hanged herself. He seemed to remember the Slytherins, led by Draco, had then moved their attentions on to the Patil twins. These were no longer just names and faces to Harry, rather people he knew who were becoming friends.

When Susan asked if they thought Sirius would let her best friend, Hannah, accompany her on holiday, Harry quickly said he was sure his godfather wouldn't have a problem with that. He would write and ask, just to be sure.

The smile Susan wore at hearing his opinion just convinced Harry of something he'd been thinking about. If things started to go pear shaped in Britain, getting the Grangers and Dursleys out of Britain would no longer be enough. There was no way he could leave Sirius behind, nor could they sit somewhere safe and leave Neville in Britain to face what was coming.

The list was growing though, so it was fortuitous that this summer they would discover just how big this island of Sirius' was. Proposing this solution to Dan and Emma as a viable 'Plan B' might ease their minds. Then again, the people involved in this struggle were becoming more than names to them too. Neville and Augusta Longbottom were already much more than names, with others sure to join that status over the summer. Come September, they would also begin teaching the first two years of students in Hogwarts.

Like it or not, they and anyone else teaching those lessons, would become the faces of muggle Britain to the purebloods in the castle. If they could begin to change minds and attitudes in Hogwarts, then they had a chance. If not, then there was always plan B. As plan B's go, the Black Island sounded pretty good.


	18. Number Four

**You're My Density**

A/N I'm taking an offered opportunity to return to my first love. Writing, and then directing that original story on a stage. Rather than relying on reviews to garner opinion on your efforts, it's rather exhilarating to see a live audience's reaction to something you've written and then directed a large cast of teenagers on how best to present. It was only my stopping doing this in 2007 that first saw me trying my hand at writing fan fiction. I now have auditions, then rehearsals and such - pushing my workload straight into the crazy bracket.

This is undoubtably going to leave me with even less time to write fan fiction so posting new chapters after this one is going to become rather sporadic for the next few months. The only good news I have to offer is that the show will be performed for three nights in December, allowing me to resume a more regular update schedule by the time Christmas comes around.

**Chapter 18 - Number Four**

Sitting in the back of the Range Rover, Harry nervously clutched Hermione's hand. Spectacular was the only word he had to describe their summer so far but, as Dan drove them to Little Whinging, Harry was hoping for nothing more than normal for the next ten days. The problem though being he was the only person who understood what his version of normal was.

A tanned Hermione kissed him on the cheek before snuggling into his side. She was his rock, and the only reason he had any hope they could pull the next ten days off.

Both Granger ladies had instantly fell in love with Black Island, it would be hard not to. The main house was based on something like an old plantation mansion, a dozen white columns and multiple artistically wrought iron enclosed verandas ostentatiously proclaiming to all who laid eyes on the building that the people who lived within its walls were important. The mansion apparently came included as part and parcel of the island when the Blacks acquired it, since Sirius claimed his family would never build something so white and light. It sat proudly on top of a slight rise, though it was only around a four hundred yard walk to the beautiful beach that was clearly visible from every room at the front of the house.

Dan had quietly whispered to Harry that, as Plan B's go, this was a bloody beauty.

While knowing nothing about any Plan B, it was another beauty who seemed to catch Neville's eye. Hannah Abbot was a lovely girl, Neville would certainly agree with that. Harry and Hermione were busy watching another couple though, Sirius and Amelia. They had taken a stroll along the beach her first night there and the stars weren't the only things twinkling, Sirius' eyes gradually lost the look of a man who'd spent the last decade in Azkaban. Hermione confided in Harry that she'd never seen Sirius happier.

When Amelia, Susan and Hannah left, the atmosphere on Black Island dipped for a few days. With Parvati due to arrive, Neville was beginning to wonder if he'd made a mistake inviting her. They all though received a very pleasant surprise. Parvati away from Hogwarts, or should that be away from Lavender, was like a different girl. Padma too seemed to be a calming influence on her twin sister.

The results of this was the five youngsters spent a brilliant week together, with Neville and Parvati certainly growing closer over the course of those blissful seven days.

The couple's tearful parting at the end of their week together saw Hermione doing something she never thought she would, inviting Parvati and Padma to spend a day with them in Crawley. Since Neville had already invited the sisters to Longbottom Manor, it looked like they would be seeing a lot of the Patil sisters this summer. On examining their feelings, both Harry and Hermione were rather surprised to discover they were looking forward to it.

While Augusta and Sirius had spent a couple of their evenings bombarding Harry and Hermione with information on the Potters, and their place in wizarding society, it was taking the Longbottoms on their first trip into Crawley that really highlighted the cultural gulf they were trying to bridge.

The Grangers and Longbottoms effectively became each other's test subjects as lesson plans began to take shape for September. It was the simple things that astonished the other they felt simply had to be covered, tailoring what they hoped to achieve to that yardstick.

After having already visited Crawley town centre a couple of times leading up to his girlfriend's visit, Neville really enjoyed acting as a guide to the twins. Hermione was left smiling as Neville was confidently explaining a few things he'd known absolutely nothing about a few days ago to the Patils. Hermione also noticed a few people their age giving their group funny looks, though those looks were mainly in her direction. She knew these other kids of course, having grown up with them. That was the difference however, since Hermione had really grown up.

She had celebrated her nineteenth birthday before then traveling back in time on the Winter Solstice. Arriving at Halloween meant they'd been back in their younger bodies for slightly over nine months now. Adding those nine months to her actual age also meant she was now twenty years old. Glaring stares from a few of her former antagonists wasn't going to bother this Hermione Granger, especially since none of these kids had yet become a teenager.

Harry had of course heard from his aunt, phone calls between the Granger and Dursley homes had actually become quite common. They were all aware the Dursleys had thoroughly enjoyed their holiday, and Petunia said they were looking forward to Harry and Hermione's visit. The three Grangers were reserving judgement on that for the moment. Neither Dan nor Emma were in any way worried there would be trouble the kids couldn't handle, not with Dobby as their constant shadow too.

Petunia had been watching for their arrival, she also noticed curtains twitching in a few of her neighbours' homes as the Range Rover pulled up outside their door. Petunia went out and greeted Emma warmly. That same warmth was also visible as she led both children into her house, Dan following on behind with Emma and the kid's bags.

This tanned, well dressed and groomed, non spectacle wearing young man bore so little resemblance to the nephew who left last September that the neighbours would be scratching their heads over the young couple's identity for days.

Vernon and Dudley knew who they were though, and both were still under the mistaken impression that Harry need to stay with them for their safety. Not that either was going to say anything to Harry or Hermione, and certainly not with Dan and Emma in the house.

Since it was past dinnertime, Petunia had made tea for everyone. Photo's of their respective holidays were then passed around the group.

A puzzled Dudley was studying the group on the island and just had to ask the question. "Where is everything, and everyone?"

"It's a private island, owned by my godfather. We were the only ones on it, and we had to take a boat ride to another island to do any shopping or anything like that."

A horrified Dudley was now certain they had made the right choice. A buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner was interspersed by watching topless women sunbathing at the hotel pool. Add in all the hustle and bustle of the resort's thriving night life and Dudley thought he was in heaven. Dudley had just spent the best two weeks of his life on holiday in Majorca. Potter's holiday looked so boring, there probably wouldn't even be T.V. available on that island.

When Emma and Dan left, Hermione decided to call it a night. Harry led her up to the room she would use and kissed her good night. He turned to find his uncle waiting on him.

"I'm warning you now, boy. There will be no funny business with that young lady while she stays here." Harry smiling was not the reaction Vernon had expected.

He held out his left hand. "Uncle Vernon, these rings Hermione and I wear signify that we'll be marrying each other when we're old enough. There will never be any 'funny business' between us. She's my intended, my best friend and so much more." He left his stunned uncle still standing there as Harry entered his bedroom.

Harry spent an uncomfortable night, lying in a bedroom that was his, yet it wasn't. Knowing Hermione was on the other side of the wall eventually calmed him enough to sleep. Walking down to breakfast with her soon had the smile back on his face, but not for long. There were no smiles at the Dursley breakfast table. This situation had nothing at all to do with the visitors however.

"But Pet, how am I meant to do a day's work on that? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…"

"Only because it comes first in the day. We've already had letters from Dudley's school about his weight, and that was before you two made pigs of yourselves for a fortnight…"

"We'd already paid for that food. I was only making sure we got our money's worth."

"You both put on about a stone. That weight will have to come off or the school will refuse to take Dudley. He was supposed to lose weight over the summer, not gain it."

Petunia then apologised to Hermione and Harry, but felt she had to serve them the same. While Hermione was perfectly happy with her half of grapefruit and some other fruit, Harry saw an opportunity. It was risky, but might just be worth it.

"Uncle Vernon, I know you don't like magic - and I can respect that. Magic though can do wonderful things too. One of the skills we learn is transfiguration, turning one thing into another. Your breakfast could be changed into sausage, ham and eggs…"

It looked as if Vernon was going to explode at the mention of magic, until Harry also mentioned food. It was actually Petunia who questioned her nephew.

"What's the point of that? I could easily have made their usual fry-up…"

Sensing where Harry was going with this, Hermione thought it was a brilliant idea. She tried to help him out. "When you transfigure something though, the initial material determine what's possible. If I transfigured my breakfast into blueberry pancakes and syrup, they would retain the same calories to the material I started with."

The only bit of that Dudley understood was the mention of blueberry pancakes. Vernon's ears though had certainly pricked up at the suggestion he could have practically anything for breakfast - while still maintain the diet Petunia set for them.

"Blueberry pancakes sounds lovely…" Harry had barely uttered the words when the contents on his plate changed to a stack of five pancakes, covered in syrup, with a few blueberries at the side.

Dudley's eyes were nearly popping out of his head. Not at the use of magic but rather the stack of pancakes - and that was before the delicious smell hit him. "Are they real?"

Lifting a pancake off his plate, Harry placed it on Dudley's. He then proceeded to eat the remaining pancakes Dobby had transfigured for him. Seeing Harry dig in, Dudley couldn't resist any more. His loud mmmm… at the first mouthful signalled his enjoyment, and also convinced Dudley this was what he wanted for breakfast too. His toyed with breakfast suddenly became a stack of blueberry pancakes, Dudley's wide grin broadcasting he was delighted at that.

Hermione asked if hers could be changed as well proved too much of a temptation for Vernon.

"I really do prefer…" He didn't get to say any more as two sausages, three rashers of bacon and a fried egg now stared back at him. Like his son, Vernon's first bite was also his first tiny step along the road of accepting magic. Anything that could fry his bacon and eggs exactly how he liked them couldn't be all bad.

Watching her family happily tuck in had Petunia smiling too, and that was before her breakfast changed to those tiny sandwiches a special little elf knew she loved so much. Petunia quietly whispered 'Thanks, Dobby' before enjoying the treats that were tastier than their counterparts in Fortnum and Mason's tea room.

-oOoOo-

Draco wasn't having anything like a pleasant summer. His father had been on his case from the moment he'd stepped off the train, and his mother wasn't sticking up for him anymore. His father was taking a much greater interest in Draco this summer, that wasn't a good thing as far as Draco was concerned.

He'd been given books to read, spells to learn and was then tested on everything. His only respite was two hours a day set aside for flying, though even that was becoming a chore.

Things had never been this strict at home and Draco was slowly building up to a major tantrum. Seeing this, his mother intervened. She had a quiet word with her son, hoping to offer some incentive. Draco whining at his father was the last thing they needed to happen. Lucius might withdraw his offer of giving Draco another year to prove himself, effectively throwing both of them out on their ear.

"Your father is very angry at all the positive publicity Potter is receiving..." Narcissa thought she was going to need her wand to stop her son's rant in approval of that sentiment. Eventually, she got him quietened down enough to continue.

"It's not fair that he wins these quidditch matches because he has the best broom, so your father is going to do something about that. The entire Slytherin team will be flying Nimbus two thousand and one's next term."

There was the excitement she was looking for. Now all she needed to do was turn that excitement into determination. "Your father is pushing you so hard this summer because he's determined to see you succeed. He's hoping to be sitting in the Hogwarts quidditch stands while Slytherin crushes Gryffindor. Your reactions to his training this summer will decide whether you'll be sitting in the stand beside your father, or be the Slytherin seeker who beats Potter to the snitch."

The mere thought of beating Potter, never mind the added bonus of his father being there to witness his victory, was enough motivation for Draco. He attacked his lessons with gusto, determined that prize would not be snatched away from him. Draco was enough of a Malfoy to know that beating Potter was the most important thing here. He also knew his father wouldn't hesitate to ignore his son's wishes to achieve that goal. Draco needed to spend the rest of the summer convincing his father he was up to the task, so that's what he would do.

-oOoOo-

Harry had spent a peaceful morning showing Hermione around the place he grew up. Since there wasn't really much to see, it wasn't long before they found themselves in the park. Two swings miraculously repaired themselves, allowing the young couple the simple pleasure of being together while enjoying the swings.

Their peace appeared about to be interrupted as a gang of boys were making their way toward them. Piers Polkiss seemed to be leading them, though Harry also recognised Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon. He couldn't understand why Dudley was bringing up the rear of the group. Since when did he start hanging about with these losers?

Piers started right in on them. "Well, look what we got here boys. Potter's back, and he's brought a friend for us to play with." The other three laughed, Dudley showed no reaction at all.

"Big D tells us you had an accident, one that scrambled your brain. Now you really are a retard, Potter." Again the laughter, again Dudley took no part in it.

"The accident scrambled my memories, nothing more. Hermione, does he look like a rat to you?"

This had her giggling. "Another Peter Pettigrew?"

"Piers Polkiss, Peter Pettigrew, you have to admit there are striking similarities..."

This girl giggling, and Potter's casual dismissal, really pissed off Piers. It was time to remind Potter who was in charge here. "Big D told us all the women he saw on holiday went about topless. That's a nice tan you've got, how about showing us how far down it goes?"

This time Dudley reacted. As the four boys now threateningly crowded around the couple, he took a couple of steps back.

"Only my boyfriend knows how far my tan goes, and that's the way it will be staying..."

Since they were holding hands on the swings, the identity of that boyfriend was never in any doubt. Next to Dudley, Malcolm was the biggest in the gang. He couldn't believe that Potter had pulled a hot bird like this, and intended to show both of them the error of their ways.

"Potter's nothing, you should hang about with us." To emphasise his point, Malcolm punched Harry in the chest. At least he tried to.

Harry had moved like lightning, meaning Malcolm's fist connected with nothing but air. The bigger boy was also now off balance, and Harry was inside his guard. A couple of punches to the gut took all the fight out of Malcolm before a blow to the face had him down. Gordon was next to discover this was a very different Potter they were now dealing with. His burst mouth was telling him their new sport this summer would be hiding from Harry, rather than hunting him.

Turning, Harry saw Piers also on the ground. A hard kick to the kneecap would do that every time. Hermione was now facing down Dennis, who appeared shocked that anyone would stand up to them.

"Do you want to try and look down my top? With my boyfriend beside me too?"

As Harry's arm slipped protectively around Hermione's waist, Dennis was comically shaking his head and hands, and tripped over the prostrate Malcolm in his haste to confirm he wanted nothing to do with this couple. Harry's gaze though was focused on his cousin.

"Dud, why are you hanging about with these losers? Aunt Petunia always told us we were better than that - and she was right. You've got some hard choices to make, Dud."

"You think you're pretty special, don't you Potter?"

"I didn't have to be special to beat this lot, you saw that. They're nothing but arrogant bullies, with no skill or talents to back that arrogance up." As the couple started walking away, Harry turned for one last piece of advice for his cousin.

"Had Piers been stupid enough to actually lay his hands on Hermione, you know what I would have done. You might want to explain that to your 'friends' lying here."

It was a thoughtful Dudley who sat on the now vacant swing. Piers hauled himself up and managed to slip into the other one. Rubbing his very painful knee, he had some harsh words for their leader.

"Why didn't you back us up? I thought you liked pounding on Potter?"

"You heard him, you saw him, that's a different Potter. Whatever you do, do not touch his girlfriend." The shudder of dread that ran through Big D had the rest of them wanting to know why he said that.

"They both go to the same school..."

"I thought Potter went to a school that only took boys?"

A stare from Dudley shut Dennis up, that allowed the tale to continue. "One of the teachers at that school went a bit nuts. He tried to attack Hermione, and Potter killed him."

"Then why isn't he in jail?"

"I told you, Dennis, the teacher went nuts. They gave Potter and her bloody great medals because of it."

Now they all wanted the macabre details.

"How did he do it, kill him like?"

"Did he use a weapon?"

Dudley again shuddered as he gave them the details. "He punched that teacher in the head until he was dead. Potter had to be pulled off him by the police..."

"How come it wasn't on the news? In the paper?"

He could hardly say it was, and he had carefully read every word. Dudley changed tactics. "Potter actually goes to a private school up in Scotland. His parents had a bit of cash, so it was all arranged and paid for since he was a baby. His girlfriend goes to the same school. You should see what her dad drives, dad goes green with envy every time he sees it." Dudley then found himself making an admission he'd never thought of before. "They seem alright though, her parents."

Malcolm and Gordon had first hand experience of just how hard Harry could hit, they weren't disputing Dudley's story. Dennis was just counting his blessings he'd escaped the entire fight unharmed, he would be giving the couple a wide berth too. Piers though was raging.

"There's a killer in Little Whinging and we're just supposed to accept that?"

This saw Dudley just shrug his shoulders. "Had you pulled Hermione's top to look at her tan, Potter would have destroyed you. Does anyone here think we would have been able to stop him?"

Gordon removed the bloody hankie from his mouth to speak. "For a skinny runt, Potter sure can hit hard."

"He plays some weird Scottish sport at that school of his, makes him fast and strong. Mum says he's very good at it."

"Your mum's been there?"

This got a nod. "Went to see him get his medal. She's also friendly with Hermione's parents. Her dad doesn't look like someone you'd want to mess with either."

The unanimous decision of the gang was to leave the couple well alone, though Piers still wanted some revenge.

Harry took Hermione to the local cafe, unaware this was his first ever visit in this timeline. Apart from never having money to visit before, the Dursleys would usually have kept him far too busy with chores. Like a normal young couple, they sat and discussed this morning's events over their ice cream sundaes.

Heading back for lunch, they discovered number four had a visitor - an unhappy one at that.

"Hello, Mrs Polkiss…"

"Don't you hello me, Potter, not after beating up my Piers."

"I don't know what you've heard, but I never actually touched Piers"

"That's not what he says…"

"That's hardly surprising, since he got 'beaten up' by my girlfriend. He and his buddies were determined to see how much of Hermione was tanned. Naturally, Hermione and I objected."

"My Piers would never do anything like that."

Hermione was holding Harry's hand as this woman shouted at him, not something she was ever going to accept. "Your son was reaching for my top when I kicked him one…"

"Don't you go making wild accusations against my son, you lying little strumpet…"

That was way over any line either Harry or Hermione were ever going to accept. Before they could react though, Petunia exploded.

"Dawn Polkiss, how dare you say that about Hermione. I know this girl, and have stayed with her fine family. If Hermione said that's what happened, then I absolutely believe her."

"You've got a couple of murders staying with you…"

"Indeed I do not. These two children responded to a situation at their private boarding school, saving the lives of four of their classmates. I proudly sat there as their courage and bravery were rewarded. They are also the top two students of their entire year-group, while Harry is the star player on his house sports team. These are not the type of children who have to make up lies. Emma and Dan Granger certainly won't stand for anyone besmirching their daughter's name, and you certainly won't be doing it in my house."

"You told us the boy attended St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys."

Realising she would have to kill that story, and get something like the truth out there, Petunia told the truth to the one woman sure to have it all over the neighbourhood before the sun went down.

"Harry and Hermione attend an exclusive private boarding school in Scotland. The entire thing was set up by his parents before they died. Harry has spent most of the summer staying with his friends from school and spending time with his godfather, Lord Black. Both look so tanned because they spent over three weeks on Lord Black's private Caribbean Island. The Dursleys were invited too, but we had already booked our holiday."

Dawn was standing there opened mouthed, then her face hardened. "I don't believe a word of that..."

"Get out of my house!"

"What?"

"Get out of my house. You call Hermione vile names, then tell me I'm a liar. Get out, before I throw you out. Keep your son away from my door too. Like you, he's not welcome here."

A very miffed Dawn Polkiss stormed out the house, with Petunia slamming the door behind her. She then turned to the young couple, clearly worried.

"I need to ask you something, and want you to be honest with me. Was Dudley involved in this?"

It was Harry who exploded this time. "Aunt Petunia! You know Dudley would never be involved in something like this..."

The relief on Petunia's face was unmistakable, as was the smile she now wore. "Thank you for that, you have no idea how much hearing that means to me. I also enjoyed throwing that bitch out. How dare she say that about our Hermione. I'll go and put the kettle on..."

Knowing that Harry's stout defence of Dudley was based on his altered memories, Hermione was at a loss to explain his wide smile.

"That's the Aunt Petunia I remember. It actually felt a little like deja vu because I remember her flinging Piers' mum out once before."

That made sense to Hermione. The memory alterations carried out on the Dursleys totally changed their attitude to Harry. That would have led to situations similar to what they'd just witnessed, where people couldn't understand the sudden polar change in the Dursley family's attitude to their fourth member.

-oOoOo-

Ron Weasley understood polar changes in attitude. Ever since Halloween last year, his life seemed to be full of them. His best friend suddenly didn't know him. When that best friend was the famous boy-who-lived, that was really hard to take.

He'd gained the respect of his fellow first years, only for the entire house - make that school - to turn against him over the censure fiasco. Ron knew only something spectacular could see him recover from that, and he'd almost pulled it off too. Choosing to forget the fear induced by seeing Quirrell with a Dark Lord growing out the back of his head, Ron concentrate on the memory of telling the truth. He loudly proclaimed to Dumbledore that Potter was second to solve the tasks, he, Ron Weasley, had gotten there first.

Ron didn't really remember much after that, except waking up in St. Mungo's. His family seemed really pleased to see him, and Ron loved all the attention. Again that underwent a polar shift the instant he got home. His mother and father shouting at him, while Ginny now wouldn't speak to him. The Prophet full of Potter and Granger being awarded Orders of Merlin, First Class, almost put him off his food.

Things didn't improve when Hogwarts let out either. His brothers may be home from school but, for all the attention they paid to Ron, it didn't really matter. Percy blamed him for losing that precious prefect badge, and any chance at being Head Boy. Conveniently ignoring his own involvement in that fiasco appeared to be a trait he shared with Ron.

The twins were good friends of Harry's and wouldn't hear a word said against Potter or Granger. Only a complete idiot would upset the Weasley twins, especially if they had to live in the same house as Fred and George.

Ron was left facing his latest polar shift. He had dreamed of being the Gryffindor hero but a visiting Dumbledore and McGonagall had destroyed those dreams. With his academic results now all in, the pair delivered a double blow. Not only would Ron have to repeat first year, he would face being resorted as well.

He now faced the choice of returning to Hogwarts, resorted and repeating first year, or being home schooled. As much as Ron hated the first option, being a first year Hufflepuff might be preferable to being homeschooled by his mother. His parents had been on his case from the moment he'd returned from St Mungo's, at least he would escape that at Hogwarts.

Using intelligence that had stayed hidden for most of the last year, Ron was working on a strategy. Returning to Hogwarts would see him become the talk of the school, right up until something happened to refocus their attention somewhere else. Worse case scenario, he would need to put up with the whispering, pointing and perhaps even insults until the first quidditch match. After that, he would be last week's news and ignored.

Staying at home though meant his mother would be on his case each and every day. With his father home every night to reinforce those lessons, Ron's thoughts were leaning toward Hogwarts. It was the memories of what he'd lost - Neville sharing private quarters and holidaying with Potter - that held him back from choosing the Hogwarts option. At least in The Burrow, he wouldn't be reminded of that every single day.

He had until the Weasleys headed for Diagon Alley to give his definitive answer. After that date, whatever Ron chose, his fate was sealed.

-oOoOo-

Dudley didn't seem as impressed when an invisible Dobby changed the salad into his favourite pizza at dinner. Nor was he really paying attention to his mother's spirited telling of how she chucked Mrs Polkiss out of their house. While his father hung on her every word, Dudley had a different question for Harry.

"How did you do that today? You made it look easy too."

"You've seen the golden snitch I gave Aunt Petunia?" Dudley's nod saw Harry continue. "It moves incredibly fast, and my job is to catch it. I also have people hitting things like cannonballs at me, trying to make sure I don't catch the little blighter. That really sharpens up your reflexes. I've also done some boxing training to keep fit..."

His uncle's ears picked up at that. "Boxing? A noble sport. In my day, Smeltings had an excellent boxing program."

"They still do, dad."

Remembering her conversations with Harry about Dudley, Hermione though they'd just been presented with a golden opportunity. It was one she intended to take. "Trying to get your weight to a place you're happy with is an incredibly difficult thing for anyone to do, especially by just changing your diet. If you can combine a sport with the dieting, the results can be spectacular. I think boxing is a sport you could be very good at."

A gorgeous girl telling him he could be very good at something was a whole new experience for Dudley, one he wasn't really sure how to handle. "Do you really think so, Hermione?"

She decided to come at this from the opposite angle. "Remember Harry from last summer, he was so skinny. A change of diet and lots of exercise has most of the neighbours not recognising him. We can help you with the food part for the rest of the summer, but not when you return to Smeltings. Starting to box now, and continuing the sport at school would really help."

"I'd be happy to show you the basics, Dud. Dodging punches is really good exercise for me, throwing those punches will help you too. We could start tomorrow after breakfast. Sitting in the park has kinda lost it's appeal..."

"You'd do that for me? Stand there and let me punch you?"

This had Harry smiling. "Dud, your job is to throw those punches, mine is to dodge or let them hit the training pads."

"Will we need to buy those things, Harry?"

He was still smiling as Harry answered his aunt. "Not right away, we can handle it for now. Give Dudley a couple of days to see if he likes it, then you could look at buying him some gear."

His son being involved in sport was certainly an idea Vernon wanted to encourage, especially if it turned into something Dudley might become good at. "We could turn the garage into a gym, it's needing a good clear out anyway."

"We could do that at the weekend. If Dudley likes boxing, it would be easy to copy the small gym I use." Only Hermione knew the gym Harry was talking about was the Dursleys' converted garage from the other timeline.

As the excitement over this idea grew, it became an enjoyable dinner at Privet Drive. Not once was it mentioned they were eating food altered by magic, or that they would be using magic to achieve a lot of what they were talking about. This was amazing progress from the family she'd first met at Christmas. Watching as Harry's smile just got wider and wider, Hermione thought his Christmas had come early this year.

It was then Hermione had her epiphany. She'd figured Harry's uncle would be the hardest nut to crack but clearly had not considered something very important when reaching that conclusion. Vernon Dursley knew nothing about magic, or magical society - except what he'd heard from his wife. His attitudes were all centred around Petunia's hatred of magic, and those who had it.

With Petunia's attitudes on magic changed, along with magic changing his food, Vernon was a lot more accepting of the situation than she'd ever thought possible. If they could help Dudley to lose some weight, and get him involved in sport, Hermione could see Vernon's objections to magic - and Harry - slowly disappearing. It was with a sense of excitement she glanced at her still smiling intended - they might actually be able to pull this off.

-oOoOo-

Minerva certainly wasn't smiling as she stormed into the Headmaster's Office. Slapping a letter onto his desk, Albus didn't get time to read it before his Deputy revealed the contents to him, and also the reason for her not inconsiderable anger.

"Albus, we can't allow this..this.. Words actually fail me. This selfish charlatan has placed seven of his own books on the required text book list. All seven books for all seven years! Does he really expect first years to be learning about vampires, werewolves and trolls? We sent him the curriculum each year is required to be taught and he's just ignoring it, in favour of selling his own books too. It's bad enough the peacock will be here as a professor but to then force every student to buy all his books is a disgrace. Albus, I don't think I can add this to the Hogwarts letters I'm about to send out."

Letting out a sigh of frustration, though not directed at his Deputy, Albus reiterated what Minerva already knew. "Gilderoy Lockhart was the only person who showed the slightest interest in the vacancy for our Defence Against the Dark Arts post. As you are well aware, each professor sets their own text book list. It's not something we can interfere with..."

"But Albus..."

"I know exactly how you feel, Minerva. Lockhart actually wanted the job last year. That was why I fell on poor Quirinus' offer to teach the position last summer. We both know how that turned out, and this year I'm all out of options. Whether this is Gilderoy's way of getting back at me for the perceived snub from last year, or his motives are purely financial, doesn't really matter. If I start interfering in the choice of textbooks for particular subjects, I would effectively be declaring I know better than the professor teaching the subject. That position would be untenable as Headmaster, and for the professor involved too..."

"Even if, in this case, it's the truth?"

"Minerva, I suspect our Miss Granger would be a more effective teacher of this subject than Gilderoy Lockhart. Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to offer her the position. Due to Sirius' release from Azkaban, I was hoping a certain friend of his might make an appearance before now. Alas, even if Remus were to turn up, Gilderoy has now signed the contract. Hogwarts must have a defence professor but news of the position being cursed has robbed us of all of the people who would be good at the job. Quirinus' well publicised demise put the last nail in that coffin. I can only assume that Gilderoy doesn't read the newspapers."

"More like he just brushes past those stories that don't feature a picture of him in them. Would you really have given Remus Lupin the job?"

"We both know Remus would be an excellent professor, and that Hogwarts already has a proven method in place to deal with his medical condition."

"With any luck he'll turn up soon. Then we'll have a replacement for when Gilderoy leaves. You know he'll be attracted to Mister Potter's fame, and you also know how both he and Miss Granger will react to that. Sparks will fly there..."

The smile on Dumbledore's lips stopped Minerva's rant. Albus knew the young couple better than anyone else in Hogwarts. She hoped that smile was in anticipation of the castle's now famous couple running Lockhart out of Hogwarts. Minerva well remembered the hard time the couple had given Augusta - and she was a very good teacher that Harry and Hermione liked. They would eat Lockhart for breakfast, especially if Gilderoy tried to latch onto the boy-who-lived.

She still hated the prospect of all the extra books this gaudy arse would sell but consoled herself with the thought it may not be nearly as many as he hoped. If a parent had already bought any of Gilderoy's books, Minerva was sure those would be the copies heading off to Hogwarts with their children. After all, it wasn't like these novels would be kept in the house as reference books.

-oOoOo-

Dudley felt foolish. He was in their back garden, wearing t-shirt and shorts. What was making him feel foolish though was the protective headgear and rather large boxing gloves he was sporting. That, and whatever he tried to punch wasn't there by the time his glove arrived.

His cousin moved like quicksilver, and was just as elusive. Smacking into one of the pads Harry was wearing on his hands felt good though, as did the words of encouragement coming from Harry and Hermione.

Petunia arrived with some iced glasses of diet cola for all three of them, allowing Dudley to towel off before drinking it through the provided straw. Trying to pick up a tumbler while wearing boxing gloves was not an easy task.

"I though you said I could be good at this? I've hardly laid a punch on you."

"When boxing, you fight in weight divisions. You and I would certainly be in different ones, Dud. That means you wouldn't normally fight anyone that moves as fast as me, which will help you improve your hand speed. When you fight someone in the same weight division as you, this will help you be so much quicker than them."

While he was thinking about that, Hermione added another layer to the solution. "Our quidditch team practices for hours at a time, multiple times every week, and then spend even more hours talking tactics. Then again, that's why they're so good. One thing Harry insisted on though was that they had fun while doing it. You've just started training, so the most important thing is whether you enjoy it or not. It takes a lot of work to get good at anything. It's a whole lot easier to do that work however if it's something you like doing."

"How could flying on a broom not be fun? Do you think I could come to your school and watch a match?"

"Dud, you come to Hogwarts, I'll take you flying on my broom. Deal?" Harry held up his pad and Dudley punched it - sealing the deal between the two grinning boys.

Hermione hugged her grinning intended while Petunia had her arms round her son. Both boys were then keen to return to their practicing.

Dudley didn't know just how much weight a broom could carry but was determined now to lose as much of his as possible. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, one he was determined to grasp. Sitting there and the broom not rising off the ground because he was too heavy was a potential nightmare Dudley was determined to avoid.


	19. Invitations

A/N Held auditions and now have a cast. The real work starts tomorrow with our first rehearsal, the first of many. Hope to keep typing away at chapter 20 in what I'll now laughingly call my free time...

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 19 - Invitations**

Sirius was sitting across from a worried lady in this classy restaurant and realised he had to take some action here. Reaching out, he took her trembling hand and gently caressed it.

"Ami, whatever happens tonight, I promise you we will leave this table, at the very least, still the best of friends."

"I don't see how, Sirius. I know what you really want to happen, I just can't understand why. Years ago, I made a conscious decision to focus on my career. To be honest, there wasn't a line of suitors desperately trying to get me to change my mind about that..."

"Well they were all blind, and stupid."

"I remember a young trainee auror, following me around like a lost puppy..."

"I was lost, until I met you. You believed in me, encouraged me..."

"I most certainly did not. I was the epitome of professionalism in my dealings with a junior auror."

"So, how many other junior aurors have you held when they broke down after killing their first wizard? James had Lily to do the same for him, I don't know if I would have survived without your strength and compassion."

A blushing Amelia admitting to Sirius he was the first, and only, certainly encouraged his pursuit. "First you told me it was normal for trainee aurors to have crushes on their trainers. Somehow I can't see that happening in Mad-Eye's class."

Hearing her laugh at that slight joke saw Sirius push on. "Then, after I qualified, you told me romance between junior and senior aurors couldn't happen. I respected that reasoning, knowing of course how much your career meant to you. Only the fact we were fighting a war stopped me resigning from the auror corps there and then. I knew you needed every wand you could get, so I stayed. I stayed for you, Ami, nothing else - and only my godson going into hiding saw me leave."

She tried to say something but Sirius was on a roll, he needed to get this out there. "I never intended to be away for so long, not seeing you for over a decade was never part of any plans I had. When you walked into my cell that morning, I though you were an angel..."

"After spending a decade with dementors for company, Mad-Eye walking in that door would have looked like an angel to you..."

"I just can't see Mad-Eye with wings and a harp, can you? I also know you could have sent anyone to collect me from Azkaban, but you came in person..."

She couldn't look at Sirius while answering. "To me, seeing Pettigrew's name on Harry's map was as big a shock as discovering Voldemort was still alive. I can't deny I have feelings for you, Sirius. I'm just not sure what those feelings are. Staring at that map I knew at once you were innocent, and those feelings I buried away all those years ago came rushing back. I couldn't let anyone else come to get you, and finally take you away from that place."

"Ami, the one thing I learned in Azkaban is that life is at best fickle. We shouldn't put off to tomorrow what can be done today because, sometimes tomorrow is too late. I don't want us to be too late so I'm going to put my feelings on the table for you to pick over."

Taking a steadying breath, Sirius opened his heart. "When I was younger, I wasn't a very good person. I rejected my family because they were dark, without rejecting most of the traits that they embraced. I was arrogant, conceited, a cocky bully who really was a Black in every way except for being dark. The dalliances I had with witches were nothing more than boosts for my shallow ego. Then I met you..."

"Sirius I..."

"Please, Ami, let me say what I need to. While you were impervious to my charm and cheesy lines, we formed a connection that neither of us can deny exists. Your job was to take raw recruits and turn them into aurors. With me, you took an arrogant git and turned him into a man - only not in the carnal sense. My biggest regret that Halloween was that I didn't go to you. The war was effectively over, we could finally have been together - and then raised Harry and Susan as our children."

There were tears running down this strong witch's cheeks as Sirius now had both her hands held in his. "I cost both of us that future and paid for it, I certainly paid for it. I understand you always had a problem about the age difference between us, Ami. Trust me on this though, Azkaban ages a person - it certainly aged me. We've now had some time to get to know one another again, you must be able to see that?"

Nodding, Amelia gave her reasoning. "Before your stay in Azkaban, that version of Sirius Black would have been bored stiff on Black Island within a day or so. I watched a maturer you grow more and more contented the longer you stayed."

"I had a lot to be contented about. The most important people in the world to me were on that island. My godson has none of the flaws his father and godfather suffered from, though he certainly has inherited Lily's temper. As for his intended, what's not to love about that girl? There's no question she loves my godson, and he her. Even her parents were great, they certainly have accepted Harry into their family."

Now was the part Sirius was dreading, it had to be said though. "You were there too, and I just loved the way you kept an eye on Susan - without appearing to do so or crowding her. I have dreams, Ami, and the week you spent on that island came pretty dammed close to fulfilling most of them. In those dreams, you and I were together - with a couple of our children playing alongside Harry and Susan. They say it doesn't do to live in dreams but those dreams were the only thing that kept me sane in that cell. Now I'm out, I want to see how much of those dreams could ever become reality. I'm not expecting all my dreams to come true overnight, I don't think either of us still believes in that type of happy ever after. If a dream is worth chasing though, you have to give it your best shot. My dream is sitting right in front of me and you, Ami, are certainly worth chasing..."

Sirius had no words left, he just had to sit there and wait for Ami's response. The wait was killing him but he knew this was not the time for jokes or trying to rush her. After what seemed an age, Amelia finally broke her silence.

"Witches have dreams too, Sirius. I thought mine died the day I heard what you'd supposedly done to James, Lily and Peter. Seeing you again, even while emaciated and filthy in that cell, had those dreams resurfacing. Life isn't lived in dreams though, and we've both seen and done things that have pushed us beyond what would be considered normal. I'm without a doubt a happier person with you back in my life. The more I think about where you want to take our relationship, the more my practical side conjures obstacle after obstacle to show me why that just can't happen. I'm scared, Sirius, and honestly don't know if we would ever work as more than what we are now..."

There it was, exactly what Sirius was dreading hearing. Then Ami came to his rescue, lifting his heart soaring out of the deep dark canyon it had just dived into. "...but I think I would be a fool not to at least give us a try."

Sirius was out his seat and beside the woman who meant the world to him. He now had both his hands on her cheeks before leaning in for a kiss. "Ami Bones is no fool, and I hope to spend the rest of my life proving that to her."

"I might just hold you to that. I don't know about kids of our own though, and I would hate to deny you that when a younger witch..."

Sirius gently kissed her again. "If that particular miracle doesn't happen for us, I would still consider myself a very lucky wizard to have you as my wife. We'll just have to spoil any children Harry or Susan eventually have. I think it's safe to say the Black and Bones families would be in good hands with those two."

Both now thought their dinner date had been a resounding success, though neither was bothering with dessert. Sirius and Amelia now had other things on their minds and couldn't leave the restaurant quickly enough.

-oOoOo-

Dudley's fear of magic disappeared almost as quickly as he did when pulling on Harry's invisibility cloak. Here was magic he could see working right before his eyes, or should that be couldn't see. His head floating into the living room almost gave his mother a heart attack. If the neighbours were worried over Petunia's loud scream, those worries were instantly dispelled by the sound of three children howling with laughter. They all correctly assumed Petunia had just been pranked.

Vernon too was in awe of the magical cloak. Imagining out loud what he could do with it at work had Petunia putting her foot down.

"It's bad enough using it to scare the life out of me, but at least that's not against the law. Anyone else finding out about Harry's cloak would be. I want promises from each of you this cloak doesn't leave the house."

After glaring at the two boys, both of whom were trying hard not to laugh, Petunia turned her attention to the only other female present.

"Hermione, I'm hoping you can keep both of these scallywags in line."

This actually set both boys off laughing. "Don't worry, Mum. I saw Hermione take down Piers, we won't be messing with her."

As the three of them left the house, Petunia couldn't remember when their home had rang with so much laughter. Even Vernon had been in fits on hearing the details of Dudley's prank, before asking to try the cloak on for himself.

As the three walked around Little Whinging, Dudley finally asked what they actually did on the holiday island.

Hermione was soon enthusiastically telling him everything. "It was wonderful. Diving in the Caribbean Sea is simply breathtaking, so it was probably just as well we didn't need to breathe. Harry's godfather had this magical plant, gillyweed. Although it tastes absolutely disgusting, eating it makes you grow gills, webbed hands and feet. We were able to swim underwater for an hour without scuba gear, snorkels or even face masks. With the magic being in the plant, even my mum and dad were able to enjoy it. My dad is a big fan of the Godfather movies and kept going on about swimming with the fishes - which none of our magical friends got."

"We also had brooms on the island. It gives a whole new meaning to exploring the island when you can fly there. Emma actually loved flying. For those three weeks, she must have spent about as much time with her arms around me as Hermione did." Harry was smiling at Hermione as he said this.

"Muscling in on my intended, just because he can fly…"

The tap on her back, Dobby's warning of danger, stopped Hermione talking. She was now busy searching for the danger, only for it to walk right out in front of them from the adjoining lane.

Piers was apparently now leading the gang. However, he seemed to be leading that very same gang straight into a load of trouble none of them were close to being ready for.

"So, this is how it is, Big D. Ditching your friends to hang about with Potter and the slut. You know the rules - if you're not with us then you're against us."

Piers was talking big and Dudley was about to respond when Harry cautioned him.

"Hold on, Dud. This makes no sense. Hermione and I already handed all of them their arses. With you beside us too, they wouldn't have a chance."

The confident smile Piers was wearing was then explained. "We brought some friends along - you won't take us by surprise this time." The rat faced youth now had a blade in his hand while Malcolm and Dennis let bicycle chains unfurl from the grip they had on one end of them. Gordon had a cricket bat though didn't look as if he had any intention of hitting a ball with it.

"Scared Potter?"

"Polkiss, you're a bigger fucking idiot than I thought you were - and that takes some doing. You ready to kill someone, Piers? It's not like the telly, it's actually quite a hard thing to do. Trust me, I know."

This response actually shook Piers, that and Harry not backing down an inch. "Who said anything about killing? We're just gonna mark you up some - show everyone what happens if they mess with us."

"Here's the thing though, Piers. You come anywhere near Hermione with that blade and you'll need to kill. it will be the only thing that stops me tearing you to pieces. What about you guys? Are you ready to let Piers make that kind of decision for you? Once done, it can never be taken back. The next move is yours to make - choose carefully."

Harry's green eyes were boring into them, with Malcolm being the first to crack. His bicycle chain hit the pavement while he carefully backed away. The other two almost instantly repeated his actions, loosing their weapons, leaving Piers standing there with only a penknife for company.

"Three against one - are those the odds you like Potter?"

Piers was desperately trying to save some face here, Harry however wasn't even going to allow him that much. "Hermione's already proven she can take you on her own, Piers. That piece of cheap shit you're holding in your hand wouldn't change the outcome this time either. Drop the knife and you can walk away, otherwise I'll be taking it off you. If you force me to do that, I won't be gentle about it." Harry then slowly and deliberately began closing the distance between them.

"Now's the time, Polkiss. Are you going to make the worst decision of your life, or are you going to drop that knife?"

The clatter of the knife hitting the pavement happened just as Harry reached Piers. "There may be hope for you yet, Piers. Now, fuck off!"

He may have managed not to run away but Piers' fast walk was fooling no one. Dudley was staring at his cousin as if seeing him for the first time.

"You faced the four of them down, and they were tooled too!"

Wrapping Harry in a hug, Hermione let Dudley in on their secret. "Rat-face only thought he was standing there with friends, Harry and I always have our best friend watching our backs. Dobby, please show Dudley what you can do."

The knife, bat and both bicycle chains turned into very fine sand. A slight breeze then began to blow that sand away.

"Dud, Hermione and I knew you and Uncle Vernon weren't too comfortable around magic. We've been gradually letting you see magic is not a bad thing, it can do good too. There is also a dark side however, and it's far more frightening than those four plonkers imagined they were. There's a real battle looming in the next few years, with Hermione and I being unintentionally thrust right into the centre of it. We're doing our best to change things for the better but we also know it could go either way. If Dobby ever comes to you and says it's time to leave - don't hesitate. You can trust him with your life, we certainly do with ours."

"We'll introduce you when we go back, your mum already knows Dobby. He's the one who changes your meals, and will still do so once we leave."

It was a thoughtful Dudley who walked beside the couple as they made their way back to Privet Drive. Since his mother started meeting with Emma Granger in London for tea, both he and his dad began to notice the changes in her. Those changes got a lot more pronounced after her first visit to Hogwarts, and had continued down that same path ever since.

It was his own behaviour that had Dudley troubled. Even just a week ago, he would have been leading Piers and the boys against the people who dared stand up to them. Having now witnessed that behaviour from the other side of the argument, Dudley could only feel shame at the actions of his friends - or was that former friends? This was only one of the things he was now going to have to make a decision on.

Taking a glance at Harry, with Hermione on his arm, let Dudley see what was possible. She'd stood ready beside Harry to take on all four of them, weapons and all. Thinking back to her taking out Piers, Dudley remembered she was also presented with the same bravery medal as Harry - for standing right beside him that day too. It was Harry though that had Dudley struggling to believe the changes in his cousin. The Harry who stood there ready to fight all four of them bore no resemblance whatsoever to the skinny runt they'd chased all over the estate last summer. He'd hit Little Whinging last week like Clint Eastwood in a Spaghetti Western, only without the chewed cigar, tatty poncho and well worn six shooter.

Here walking beside him was living proof of exactly what could be achieved by hard work. Harry also claimed that having the right group of friends played a big part in those changes too. He never said having Hermione by his side played the biggest part in those changes, Harry didn't need to. Just seeing both of them together announced that to whoever cared to look.

The image of Harry facing down Piers was stuck in Dudley's mind, and seemed to be telling him his decisions would determine what side of the equation he would come down on. Since Piers almost shit himself in fear, while Harry now had Hermione on his arm, Dudley didn't need to tax too many of his brain cells to reach his decision. He wanted to be more like Harry, and maybe one day have a gorgeous girl like Hermione on his arm too.

He would talk to his mum about buying him the proper boxing kit, rather than using the stuff magic provided. Dudley would also be having a chat with his father about the offer of turning their garage into a gym. Having his own gym actually sounded kinda cool, it was certainly something his mother would be slipping into her conversations with the neighbours. As a bonus, it might even get the school nurse off his back. That alone might be worth all the effort, with all other benefits counting as a bonus.

-oOoOo-

Lucius took a sip of his rare and expensive port before setting the crystal goblet down on his desk. He opened a hidden drawer of the same desk, removing a small portrait and standing the gilded frame on the polished desktop.

He took another sip of his port. Knowing the subject in the frame would pretend to be sleeping for at least the next five minutes, Lucius savoured his favourite tipple to pleasantly pass the time away. His father hated being locked in that silenced drawer, with no idea what was going on in the world around him. Abraxas was bound to obey the Head of the Malfoy family's wishes though, this was merely a show of passive resistance - making his son wait.

Having long ago worked out what his father's portrait was up to, Lucius simply now ignored the painting until the subject 'awoke'. With the portrait constantly desperate for information, it was a little game Lucius always won. Since Lucius trusted no one with the knowledge of what he was planning, his father's portrait became his sounding board for bouncing those more sensitive ideas off.

Blinking the supposed sleep out his eyes, Abraxas asked a question he was desperate to know the answer to. "Have you decided what to do with the diary?"

"Yes."

"I wasn't questioning your judgement last we spoke, he's your son after all. It was more the point of not killing the Malfoy heir without having another to take their place I was trying to make. You have five years yet before Draco is of age, I would only urge the family has another heir in situ before the boy meets an untimely death. With the Dark Lord attempting to return, it will be trying times for everyone. Killing Draco without another heir would leave the family vulnerable. Should anything then happen to you…"

"You would probably never leave that drawer again. I know you're concerned about the continuation of our line but that wasn't what influenced my decision not to slip the diary to Draco. When this entire thing kicks off, why have the Malfoy name being mentioned at all? Something that would be unavoidable if Draco was involved."

"A wise decision. So, the mudblood then? I can't help wondering however, will anyone really care what happens to a mudblood?"

"They will if she's Potter's intended, and already an Order of Merlin, First Class, holder."

Abraxas Malfoy was a hard wizard to shock, in life and now as a portrait. That statement easily managed this difficult task however. "They really gave a mudblood one of those? Things are certainly changing, and not for the better. So, targeting her would be a good choice?"

Having another sip of port, Lucius was enjoying teasing his father. "She would be an excellent choice, except for one thing. No one really disputes Potter banished the Dark Lord whilst still a baby. There are claims that he repeated this feat at the end of the Hogwarts school year, in front of Dumbledore, Bones and a half a dozen aurors too. My contacts at the ministry might be reduced in number but they're loyal to my gold. All are telling me the same story, Potter really did achieve this feat. Taking that into account, do you think it would be wise to antagonise someone who has now defeated the Dark Lord twice?"

Lucius had no intention of mentioning the message Potter sent them in the middle of the night - in their own bed too. No, Potter would be getting left well alone. The portrait took a moment to think about what it had heard before Abraxas' image nodded its head in agreement.

"Another wise decision. If the Potter brat can ever finish the job properly, it would remove a large burden from the Malfoy family. Should the Dark Lord ever return, the people who escaped punishment by decrying and disowning him would surely face his wrath. He would also have demands that would tax even our family's wealth…"

"…especially now the head of the Black family has expelled both Cissi and Draco."

For Abraxas Malfoy to be shocked twice in the space of five minutes was a major achievement. Unfortunately, it was not one his son could derive any pleasure from.

"What! I thought Cissi was smarter than that?"

"She is, her son isn't. I was forced to write formal letters of apology to both Lords Black and Potter."

"I hope your wand made the little shit pay for that affront on House Malfoy?"

"My original intention was to give him the diary before he headed back to Hogwarts. That would unleash murder and mayhem inside the castle, and see the demise of Draco. With no Black heritage, and then no heir, Cissi could be easily discarded while a more suitable witch joined the Malfoy family - and provide her new husband with an heir. Only a complete lack of faith in Draco being capable of dying without somehow implicating my part in his death changed my mind. There would have been a certain irony about playing the grieving father, while looking around for a new wife."

"And what of Draco?"

"He has a year to either prove himself worthy of the Malfoy name, or both he and his mother will be disowned. Either way, I win. At the rate changes are being forced on our way of life, we could be facing a different world by this time next year."

"What can we do about these changes?"

"Weasley is pushing a pro-muggle agenda through the Wizengamot. With the Potter / Granger situation all over the newspapers, Weasley just might succeed. If his daughter causing havoc at Hogwarts isn't enough to discredit Weasley, her eventual death will break him. He seems uncommonly fond of his children, all seven of them."

Both father and son shuddered at the thought of so many children. While they continued their conversation deep into the evening, neither wizard nor portrait noticed the elf who was listening to every word. Darla would have plenty to tell Dobby when he visited her later tonight.

-oOoOo-

Dobby made himself visible to the three youngsters and Petunia after Vernon had left for work. Dudley was now well acquainted with the little elf.

His appearance though set Hermione off with her quick fire questions. "What's the matter, Dobby? Are mum and dad okay? Did the Malfoy situation change?"

Being well used to Hermione by now, Dobby was aware only having those questions answered would see her calm down. "Emma and Dan have already left for work, both were fine. Malfoy has chosen the path you thought he would but that's not why Dobby is here. These came this morning, Sirius sent them to your home."

Taking the offered envelope from Dobby, Hermione was soon emitting a squeal of delight. "This is an invitation to Sirius' engagement party. He asked Amelia to marry him. She obviously said yes."

While Harry was delighted for his godfather, he really liked Amelia too, it was the other envelope still in Dobby's hand that was the focus of his attention. When Dobby handed the envelope to his Aunt Petunia, his hopes and fears were confirmed.

A gobsmacked Petunia opened the envelope to discover that the Dursleys were invited to Lord Black's engagement party too. Hermione was reading the short letter that had been included in the invitation addressed to her and Harry, she was able to alleviate some of the fears she saw expressed in Petunia and Harry's expressions.

"Sirius says this isn't going to be a large or lavish party, more a gathering of friends to celebrate this happy news. Looking at the names mentioned here, it will only be a few of Amelia's friends from the ministry that we won't have met before. It will be formal though, and leads us to the question of whether you think Vernon is ready for this step." Hermione smiled in Dudley's direction as she said this, indicating she was already sure he would be fine with it.

Dudley though was concentrating on something that had been said earlier. "You mentioned this Malfoy was one of the worst bad guys, right? How the hell can you know what he's up too - and will it be dangerous for you two?"

It was a pleased Harry who tried to explain. "To people like Malfoy, I'm a half-blood. That allows them to feel all superior and look down their arrogant noses at me. Hermione is a muggle born, so someone they abhor simply because Dan and Emma don't possess magic. You, as a muggle, are regarded as nothing more than sheep in a field. I'm telling you this to put the next bit in context. Using that same scale, Dobby isn't even on it. He and his kind aren't worthy of consideration, they're not even noticed..."

This drew Dudley's ire. He had watched in awe as Dobby had reduced hours worth of work clearing out the garage to a few snaps of his fingers. Within ten minutes the garage was not only clear and spotless, the junk had been changed into very useful equipment - saving his dad a fortune too. There was a heavy bag suspended by chains from the ceiling, a speed bag was also on an adjustable stand that could be raised as he grew taller with age. One wall was given over to weights, and the little guy even managed an adjustable weights bench too. Harry had an equipment catalogue and, from looking at the pictures and Harry's explanations, Dobby had done a magnificent job. Between having his meals changed and exercising, Dudley had lost half a stone in his first week. Dobby was a massive part of this change and no one was going to say anything bad about the little guy in his presence.

"That's just stupid. Dobby's great!"

This saw Hermione's smile beaming at him. "We think so too, Dudley. In fact, anyone who takes the time to get to know Dobby thinks the exact same. My mum and dad just love him, and certainly consider Dobby part of our family. That is simply something these particular people will never do though. They consider everyone in this room beneath them, I say that's their loss."

The elf at the centre of all this praise tried to change the subject. "The plan to give the Slytherin team new brooms is still going ahead. Dobby thought Harry Potter should be able to get broom companies fighting to let his house team use their brooms..."

This had Hermione laughing. "...and, unlike Draco, you couldn't be accused of using your fame or money to get on the team. You're already the Gryffindor seeker, and the team are the current holders of the Quidditch Cup. How much do you think a front page picture of you, flying their broom, would be worth to a broom company? It would certainly be worth the seven brooms it would take to sponsor the Gryffindor team. A picture of their company representative presenting their brooms to the team at Hogwarts would almost certainly guarantee that front page too, and you just know that's something McGonagall would go for. I also know you hate using your fame, but this is a good cause."

This actually had Harry smiling. "I'm just imagining both Malfoy's expressions when they see their ploy not only countered but bettered - and without it costing anything too. Okay, that's now on the to-do list. We need to do some research on broom manufacturers..." Dobby producing the latest edition of Quidditch Monthly and a broom catalogue just added to the esteem his family held the little guy in.

It was now time to get an answer to the question Hermione originally asked. Petunia had stayed silent since hearing it, and they all understood why. "Do you think Uncle Vernon is ready for this?"

Her nephew, just like his intended, had cut right to the heart of the matter. "I think I could sell him on the party. Going to Diagon Alley for the formal wear he'll require though is probably a step too far for now. How can we attend without the proper clothes? We would stand out like sore thumbs..."

"Polyjuice!"

This had all eyes looking at Hermione as she explained. "Polyjuice is a potion that can turn a witch or wizard into someone else for an hour. With that potion, and a hair from Vernon, Harry could become his uncle for an hour. That should be more than enough to get fitted for formal robes in Madam Malkin's."

"Okay, that's just creepy." Dudley gave a visible shudder before telling them what caused that reaction. "I just had this image of Harry saying 'Dudley, I'm your Father."

Harry and Hermione were in fits of laughter while Petunia just appeared shocked, forcing Dudley to explain again. "It's a Star Wars reference, mum, that's all."

Dobby also had their Hogwarts letters, instantly wiping the smile off Hermione's face. It was replaced by a grimace as she read their mandatory book list and let out a groan.

"Gilderoy Lockhart is going to be our new defence teacher."

"Why is that a bad thing?"

"Harry, we would probably be better learning defence from Binns."

"Oh, that bad?"

"Probably worse..."

"Who is this Binns, and why is the other guy worse?"

It was left to Hermione to tell the story, since Harry had yet to meet Lockhart. "Professor Binns died many years ago, but his ghost still teaches the same classes. As you might imagine, learning defence from a ghost would be pretty impossible. We would still learn more from Binns than the poncy git, Lockheart."

It was with embarrassment Hermione remembered, as a twelve year old, having a crush on Lockhart. Finding out someone you had admired not only had feet of clay, his entire life history was nothing but a stolen facade had certainly cured her of that affliction.

Dobby would be able to confirm if the book signing event was still going ahead in Flourish and Blotts. Knowing Molly Weasley's affection for the fanciful fraud, that's when her family would be heading for the Alley to do their Hogwarts shopping.

Their plan was to get the diary away from Ginny as soon as Malfoy had planted it on her. Unfortunately, that was as detailed as their plans were at the moment. Circumstances would determine most of their actions that day, something Harry was a lot more accepting of than she was.

If Petunia could convince Vernon to attend Amelia and Sirius' engagement function, that would mean a trip to Diagon Alley with Harry polyjuiced. That in itself could be a hazardous trip, so would probably have to be a separate visit from the diary snatch. Their summer just seemed to get more and more complicated, though they were certainly enjoying it.

-oOoOo-

Vernon stepped into the now strangely quiet house to find Petunia waiting for him in the hall. As she kissed his cheek, Vernon's nostrils were assaulted with the wonderful aromas of what must be his dinner.

"Where's Dudley and our guests? The house is far too quiet for them to be home."

"They've all gone to the cinema. We've got the house to ourselves for a while, and I prepared a little buffet for your dinner tonight. All your favourites..."

"...which I won't be able to enjoy until you tell me what's going on."

Leading Vernon into the dining room, she then handed him the invitation. Vernon's eyes widening and his eyebrows climbing up his forehead were the only reactions Petunia got out of him.

Lifting a plate, Vernon began to serve himself from the wonderful fare set on the table. This also bought him some time to formulate his response. "You obviously want to go, but you need to tell me why. I'm not saying no, and I'm not saying yes. I've been watching my family change before my eyes, I need to understand why this is happening."

"I thought you would have been delighted to be going to a Lord's party? That is a very exclusive invitation..."

Vernon just sat there, quietly eating his dinner. When the tears began running down Petunia's cheeks, he knew the truth was about to come out.

"Sirius once actually thanked me for raising Harry, and making him the fine young man he is today. I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed in my life, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. You've seen Harry with Hermione, those two are extremely close and have no secrets between them. Hermione was his girlfriend before the accident that scrambled his memories..."

The implications of that titbit halted Vernon's fork midway between plate and mouth.

"While Harry has no idea how we previously treated him, she does. Hermione could easily turn Harry against us, and who could blame her, yet she's doing her best to see we all get along. Our son is changing simply from being around them, and I think becoming a better person for doing so."

A sob from Petunia had Vernon getting up and moving to be beside her. "If it's this important to you, of course we'll go, Pet."

"You wanted the truth, Vernon, and the truth is I'm disgusted at how I treated that boy. I believe one day I'll see Lily again, that's not a meeting I'm looking forward too - for more than just the obvious reason. We've been given a second chance though, a chance for me to look Lily in the eye and honestly say I tried my hardest to make up for my earlier mistakes. I need to take that chance, I think we all need to. Our Dudley is going to miss those two once they leave, this will be another chance for them to meet up."

"You didn't have to make all this wonderful food to get me to say yes, it certainly helps however. I better get back to my dinner, before it gets cold."

This actually had a slight smile appearing on Petunia's face. "It's charmed to stay warm..."

Resuming eating, and discovering his wife was right, put a smile on Vernon's face too. This magic stuff wasn't half bad.


	20. Never Look a Gift Horse

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 20 - Never Look a Gift Horse...**

Sirius picked the four of them up from Crawley and escorted the group to Diagon Alley. It had been hard for the young couple to leave Privet Drive last weekend, though they would be meeting Petunia and Dudley again tomorrow for another trip to the Alley. That visit would see them acquire formal robes so all three Dursleys could attend the engagement party on Saturday. If things went as they hoped today, Harry and Hermione would be ready to celebrate on Saturday night.

They met Neville, Parvati and Padma in the Leaky Cauldron and decided Madam Malkin's would be their first stop. All the students needed school robes, as well as formal robes for the upcoming party. Dan and Emma, currently dressed in normal robes, found themselves receiving new formal wear for the party too.

Harry and Hermione went thought the day in a bit of a dream state, they knew what was waiting on them when they entered Flourish and Blott's. This proved rather unfortunate for the photographer who tried to grab them both as they walked into the aforementioned bookshop.

"Bless my soul, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Three Orders of Merlin holders in the same shop - I've got to get a photograph of that."

What he actually got, as he grabbed Harry and Hermione to drag them over toward Lockhart, was a sharp elbow to the gut from Hermione, and his legs kicked out from under him by Harry. Lying winded, with two wands now covering him, the photographer then also had an irate father to deal with.

"Who the hell do you think you are, grabbing my daughter and Harry like that."

He managed to wheeze 'Press' between gasping for breath, which didn't improve Dan's mood in the slightest. "That doesn't give you the right to go about manhandling children…"

"There seems to be a misunderstanding here, Perhaps I can help. After all it doesn't do to upset our friends in the press." While wearing his widest smile, Gilderoy had made the very serious mistake of possessively draping his arms around Harry and Hermione's shoulders. With his fingers now dangling tantalisingly close to Hermione's developing chest, there was no way Lockhart was going to escape being reprimanded for his inappropriate actions. Before any of the duo could react though, an already raging Dan beat them to it.

He grabbed Gilderoy by the outlandish and loud cravat the fop was wearing, pushing him back off and away from the young couple. "If there's a misunderstanding here, then you just made it. Who are you to think I'll stand for some creep putting his arm around my twelve year old daughter like that? You were practically groping her."

Still grinning like a fool, with no idea of the trouble he was in, Gilderoy began performing his well rehearsed spiel for when he was asked his identity. When he got to the part about 'five times winner of the Witch Weekly's most charming smile award, Dan's temper finally snapped at this ponce who had, in his opinion, grabbed Hermione in a wholly inappropriate manner.

"Well, that's something we can change right now." His fist impacted on Lockhart's jaw, knocking him to the ground amid a lot of high pitched shrieks - not all of them coming from Lockhart's legion of female fans that were packed into the bookshop.

Gilderoy's only response was fighting back the tears, as much from the shock that someone would actually hit him as the pain he was currently suffering. "There was no need for violence. I'm going to be their new defence professor at Hogwarts. I was just trying to introduce myself…"

"I'll be teaching at Hogwarts too, that doesn't mean I'll be going around the castle groping young girls. What it does mean is that I'll be keeping a close eye on you…"

He then found Hermione at his side. "It's okay, Dad. I won't be taking any classes of his, or buying his stupid books. Harry and I will be covering the subject by self-study. We've already received Professor McGonagall's permission, as well as permission for those of our friends who want to join us."

Neville immediately added his name to that list, Parvati was on his arm and asked if she could join them too. Her mum had all Lockhart's books at home, and he was Lavender's favourite author too. The handsome author pictured on the covers of those books, as well as the one portrayed within their pages, bore no resemblance to the wizard sitting snivelling on the floor.

Lockhart was bleeding from the mouth, his normal perfect appearance well and truly ruffled. Parvati couldn't be certain but was almost sure he was wearing a wig too. Considering this was the person who was supposed to teach them how to defend themselves, she was already thinking Lockhart could be worse at that task than Quirrell. If Parvati could reach that conclusion, her Ravenclaw twin had certainly worked all that out as well. Padma was soon added to the growing group not taking Lockhart's class.

Susan was there with Hannah and her mother. Beth Abbot was also a big fan of Lockhart and didn't know what to make of this situation. She would certainly have slapped any man who grabbed her Hannah in a manner like that and, knowing Hannah was friends with this group, Beth was now trying to decide if she actually wanted her daughter in Lockhart's classes. "Are you allowed to just decide not to attend classes?"

It was Harry who answered the concerned parent. "No Ma'am. You need to submit your objections to Hogwarts in writing, have an alternative in place - including course objectives - and also have an adult witch or wizard to supervise you."

This had Sirius immediately volunteering to be that adult if needed, earning a smile from Harry. "You'd be more than welcome anytime you come to class but Hermione and I are already considered adults, thanks to our Orders of Merlin. We posted our objections, as well as our course objectives, to Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall knows we study ahead and not only approved, she also made the offer of allowing our classmates to join us. Lockhart may have gained himself a bit of a reputation as an author but very few people believe he's actually done the things the character in his books claims to have."

The boy-who-lived decrying his books, and not taking his classes, was an even more painful blow to Gilderoy than the punch to the face - and that still bloody hurt. It was about then something else struck Gilderoy, only this time it was a lot more pleasant than a fist. He'd just deduced who this wizard was that punched him, and he wasn't a wizard at all. Gilderoy thought he could now take command of the situation so boldly staggered to his feet.

"You sir, besmirched my good name, damaged my reputation and then physically struck me. My honour demands satisfaction, I challenge you to a duel." Since Hermione Granger was the most famous muggle born in Britain, that obviously meant this man - her father - was a muggle. Gilderoy thought he couldn't lose here. If he'd had a bit more experience dealing with Harry and Hermione, he certainly wouldn't have been so sure of that outcome.

Before Dan could accept the challenge, Harry stepped in. "Had you taken the time to look at Dan's robes, you would have seen this man is under the protection of my house…"

"…and mine too." Chipped in Sirius, leaving Lockhart looking decidedly queasy.

Harry's smile was almost predatory now. Hermione had told him a lot of this prat's history. That Lockhart had no problems cursing and leaving children to die, while he then intended to pen a best seller of how he fought bravely but in vain to save them, meant there would me no mercy shown here today.

"Since your honour demands satisfaction, here are your options. If you choose to face Dan without your wand, no one here will interfere. Should you insist on a magical duel, your choice of opponents would be between Lord Black or myself."

From a position where Gilderoy thought he couldn't lose, how the hell did he end up staring humiliation squarely in the face? The imposing muggle seemed desperate for him to choose the 'no magic' option, Gilderoy's aching jaw was screaming that wouldn't be bloody happening anytime soon. A mere glance at Black meant facing the ex-convict was never an option Gilderoy would ever willingly decide upon either. That left facing the boy who had so recently seen off the dark lord… Gilderoy tried to worm his way out of the situation he'd just rushed headfirst into.

"Perhaps I was a bit hasty…"

Harry had no intention of letting this worm wriggle off the hook he'd so willingly placed himself on when Lockhart thought he would be using his wand against a muggle.

"When a person's honour demands satisfaction, there really is no other option but to carry through with a duel. You wouldn't want all these people here to think your honour wasn't worth defending, would you?"

Looking around at all the expectant faces, book buying parents and his future students all, Gilderoy felt the walls closing in on him. Even the photographer was back on his feet, in anticipation of a more sensational story than the book signing he was originally here for. Sensing a viable excuse, Gilderoy introduced a last ditch effort to save himself the embarrassment of being defeated by a twelve year old. "There simply isn't room to duel in here, with the Alley being really too narrow and crowded for powerful mages to fight a proper duel. I feel I have no option but to put other peoples' safety above my own pressing need to see my honour satisfied."

"That's very noble of you..."

Gilderoy was congratulating himself on that piece of quick thinking when Harry continued - eloquently and publicly taking his excuse away.

"...though lack of space is a problem that can easily be overcome. Two weeks from today is the first day of term at Hogwarts. Dan, myself and you will all be there. Sirius will be available too, if you chose to duel him. Hogwarts certainly has facilities that can be used to hold an honour duel. It will also give all your new students the chance to see exactly what they're getting as a defence professor. Do you want to make your choice of opponent now? Holding it then will also give your press friends time to get to Scotland to witness this duel."

With all avenues of escape now firmly closed, Gilderoy was left with only bluster. "Very well. Let it be known that I, Gilderoy Lockhart, will face the boy-who-lived in an honour duel at Hogwarts in two weeks. I promise to go easy on the lad."

Gilderoy's forced laughter at his own joke wasn't fooling anyone. The photographer gained something out of this situation by taking Lockhart's picture in this dishevelled state. With his mouth still bleeding too, this certainly didn't improve Gilderoy's disposition.

Deciding to leave the shop, Harry was angry because the entire situation could now be a bust. They needed Malfoy to part with that diary. These thoughts were interrupted by a voice he was gradually coming to detest.

"Bet you loved that, Potter. More attention, and now duelling a professor! I hope he kicks your arse..."

"And what makes you think I give a shit about the opinions of a boy who used to take a death eater to bed with him every night?"

With a wild scream, Ron launched himself at Harry. It was actually rather shocking to discover Lockhart was right about something, there really was no room in here to fight. Ron was swinging wildly, and could end up hurting some innocent bystander, so Harry tackled him to the ground.

Punches were thrown, legs were kicked out and Harry managed to plant his forehead onto Ron's nose before both boys were effortlessly hoisted off the floor and into the air. Hagrid had a grip on each of them, holding them up and apart until both their families got to them.

Hermione taking Harry's hand and using their danger signal focused his attention far quicker than the words she was speaking. His enquiring glance was met by the slightest of nods. Harry's few injuries were instantly forgotten, as was the person who inflicted them - the diary had been passed on.

Ron wasn't for forgetting, and certainly not in a forgiving mood. Even while being held by his father, and berated by his mother, his gaze never left Potter. The one good punch he'd landed looked to be blackening his eye, before the Granger bitch took her wand to it. She soon healed his grazed cheek too, adding to Ron's not inconsiderable rage.

With a nose gushing blood and his right eye closing, it was easy to see who had come out worse from this scuffle. The pain as his nose was magically repaired by his mother was simply another reason to hate the boy he'd once considered his best friend. The two weeks of constant ear bashing today's fight would undoubtably see coming his way just cemented Ron's view that all his troubles were Potter's fault. Even after the fight, Potter was now ignoring him. It was as if he wasn't worth bothering about. Well, Ron would just have to show him different when they returned to Hogwarts.

With all thoughts of further shopping forgotten, and the brief fight being a perfect excuse for doing so, Harry turned to his godfather. "Sirius, we need to go to your house."

"Are you all right? Did you bang your head or something?"

Lowering his voice so only his godfather could hear, Harry gave Sirius just enough information to get him interested. "No, I'm fine. We need to floo Dumbledore, and it needs to be somewhere private."

"My house has been lying empty for years, and the house elf has gone a bit crazy from being left alone with only portraits for company. There are currently only a few parts of the house that are habitable."

The underlying urgency in Hermione's tone alerted all three of the adults there was something else going on here. 'This is something that we need to do, quickly and quietly."

Sirius simply nodded while Harry and Hermione then said goodbye to their friends, telling them everything was fine and they would see them on Saturday.

While leaving the bookshop, Hermione noticed Ginny was in tears at the scene her brother had just caused. She couldn't help but think this was a far better outcome for the youngest redhead. A few tears now over Harry fighting with her stupid brother was infinitely preferable to having a basilisk added to the confrontation.

Watching from the shadows, Lucius had an evil grin on his face. Starting a confrontation with Weasley, while very easy to accomplish, was still opening himself up to the risk of his real motives being discovered. The confrontations that had just taken place had allowed him to fulfil his task without exposing himself in the slightest. After what happened today, very few people would even remember he was actually in the bookshop. If ever questioned, he was merely another parent acquiring their child's school supplies. Lucius was certain no one had witnessed what he'd just done, he was wrong.

-oOoOo-

Emma was sure Sirius could have made a fortune charging admission to his house for Hammer Horror film fans, it looked as if it had played a starring role in over half that franchise's productions. She also felt sure the unusual umbrella stand was a prop from one of those films too. Sirius telling her it was a trolls leg saw Emma let out a shriek.

As if the very thought of using a creature's leg to hold umbrellas wasn't bad enough, the size of the creature this leg once belonged to really shocked her. It was after all a troll that had tried to kill Hermione last Halloween.

Her shriek however awakened a demented portrait that immediately began shouting and screaming racial abuse at them. Sirius introducing this vile woman as his mother left them without anything to say in return. He pulled heavy curtains over the painting, before leading them past and into a large reception room.

Ignoring the peeling wall coverings and slowly rotting furniture, the large fireplace was what held the two youngest's attention. Hermione then had a strange request for the house's owner.

"Sirius, can you floo Dumbledore and tell him we got it. He needs to come here with the substance to deal with it, and he needs to come now."

A bemused Sirius still complied, and his head was back out the fireplace only seconds later. "Dumbledore just about jumped out of his robes when I gave him your message. He'll be here shortly. Will we then find out just what's going on here?"

Before Hermione could answer, Dumbledore stepped out the green flames of the fireplace and headed straight for the young couple.

"Sir, it's in my left pocket - and incredibly powerful. It's trying to push a compulsion onto me, and only my occlumency is allowing me to resist its efforts. It's Tom Riddle's diary..."

"Perhaps I should take it back to Hogwarts..."

"No, sir. No delays, no studying this thing - we want it gone. It's also not something you want to deal with when on your own. Do it here, do it now."

If Sirius was shocked at the way Hermione was effectively giving orders to Albus Dumbledore, it was only to be the first of many shocks today. Using his wand, Albus soon had the book summoned out of Hermione's pocket and floating toward a heavy table that was already in the room. As the book settled on the table, Albus removed a vial from his pocket.

His detection charms were showing this to be the darkest of magic but Albus was still considering studying the item. "Are you sure about this?"

"Certain sir. It has to be done, we can't take any chances. Mum, dad, can you get behind Harry and me. Sirius, you might want to take a couple of steps back too."

Without touching the book, Albus allowed a couple of drops of deadly basilisk venom to land on its surface. Like Quirrell's reaction to Harry's touch, the diary began to rapidly rot away where the liquid had settled. In an even eerier parallel, the book began to scream as the spirit of Voldemort left it. This time however there was no escape for this portion of his soul. It too appeared to rapidly rot while being pulled back into it's former host, until only a small black blob of gunk remained in the centre of the now ruined diary.

Albus cast a couple of detection spells at the gunk and diary, both showed a residue of dark magic but were now safe. Before any of them could comment on what they'd just witnessed, a different voice asked a question.

"You destroyed the dark one's precious object. Kreacher wants to know if you could destroy another? Master Regulus tasked Kreacher with destroying it but Kreacher failed his master's last order. Kreacher is a bad elf. If you destroy it, then Kreacher would not have failed. Kreacher would need to see you destroy it, Kreacher really need to see it destroyed. Tried so hard, Kreacher did."

Kneeling to be at the same height, Hermione spoke to the old elf. "Kreacher, if you bring the item here, we will destroy it - and of course you can watch."

"Kreacher will allow the mudblood to speak to him, if she promises to destroy the locket."

"I promise, Kreacher. Please fetch it and we'll do it now."

As the old elf shuffled away, Hermione held her hand up to stop anyone else speaking. "I have no idea what Kreacher is talking about, and I don't care. If he brings us another one, we destroy it at once. Then we can ask all the questions we want. Destroying any of these we find is our absolute top priority, and we will not jeopardise being able to deal with one that seems about to land in our laps."

Sirius had been raised in a dark family. He only had one question, a question he was sure he already knew the answer to. "That diary obviously held a piece of Voldemort, is that why he's not dead?"

Hermione's nod guaranteed his full support. "Definitely destroy first, questions later. There will be questions however, lots of them."

The old elf shuffled back in, holding a locket and chain that Kreacher carefully placed on the table. Albus' wand soon confirmed this was another horcrux. His scans also supplied some bad news.

"There's a shield charm on this that I've never seen before. I think it needs to be opened before the venom would work..."

"Kreacher already knows this, Kreacher thought you could open it."

"I can't, Kreacher, but we have someone here who just might be able to manage it. Harry, I think this has been sealed using parseltongue. It would take a command in the same language to open it." Albus looked to Harry, having already suspected this might be a skill he possessed. Receiving a nod by way of answer, Albus then offered a warning. "I also suspect this locket will be able to protect itself to some degree so you must retreat as soon as it opens."

Hermione made to step forward with Harry but her father's hands on her shoulders stopped the young witch before her intended could say no. "I'm not happy at Harry being involved in this, but it would seem he needs to be. You, on the other hand, don't. You're staying over here, with your mother and me."

It was only Hermione telling him witches and wizards considered the ability a bad thing that had stopped Harry proclaiming to the world he could converse with snakes. For someone with aspirations of becoming a vet, being able to talk to an entire species of animals was a gift beyond belief. He'd practiced using his gift every chance he got, though making sure no one else bar Hermione saw him doing so.

Approaching the table, just the sight of the beautifully carved snake adorning the locket was enough for Harry to unleash his gift. While everyone else just heard Harry hissing, the locket understood he had asked it to open - so it did.

It was probably unrealistic to expect any locket Voldemort had once owned to have pictures of his loved ones displayed inside it. Instead, the red eye that appeared to be sentient, stared out from the inside of the locket. This eye that was not an eye immediately focused on Harry, its unnatural gaze holding a level of malevolence far in excess of anything he'd ever encountered before. It felt as if a double decker bus had just slammed into his occulemency shield, with only Dumbledore stepping in front of him saving his shield from being shredded. It was now Harry's turn to feel hands on his shoulders as Sirius dragged him back to a safer distance.

They all watched as a mist left the locket and formed an image of a lovely teenage girl. She had long blond hair and the deepest blue eyes, she was also someone Dumbledore clearly recognised.

"Albus, don't kill me. You can't kill me again, brother, that would just be too cruel. Albus please…"

The Albus in question was having trouble holding his hand steady enough to administer the basilisk venom, with the first two drops actually hitting the table - burning right through it. As the image's pleading got louder and even more personal, Albus finally managed to get a drop of venom onto the locket.

The screams of the girl were terrifying, though they then morphed into Voldemort's face and voice. The magical explosion signalling the locket's demise blasted an emotionally drained Dumbledore across the room. only Kreacher's quick reactions and magic saved the headmaster from being injured.

Kreacher was also first to react when the shout of 'What the bloody hell is going on here?' came from the person who'd just stepped through the floo.

"Harry Potter and the headmaster destroyed the dark one's precious locket, the one Master Regulus asked Kreacher to do. Kreacher carried out his master's last orders, Kreacher's honour is restored. Kreacher will have tea ready in the kitchen." At that, the old elf shuffled off. It was hard to tell with Kreacher but he seemed to be standing just that little bit straighter as he did so.

Harry and Hermione helped the headmaster to his feet while Sirius headed straight for their unexpected visitor.

"Ami, what are you doing here?"

"Susan flooed and told me what happened in the bookshop. She was worried something might have happened to Harry, so I came over to check. Sirius, just what was that?"

"I'm not really sure but I've been promised answers. You should hear them too, since you know I'll tell you anyway."

A shaken Dumbledore interrupted. "Perhaps we could have that offered cup of tea first? Then I'll tell you what you both need to know."

From the four sets of worried looks heading in Dumbledore's direction, Sirius arrived at the obvious conclusion. "Can I take it Emma and Dan already know this story?"

"Like you appear to have decided with Amelia, Harry has no secrets from Hermione. Since this then affected Hermione's family, it seemed reasonable that these two would tell them what was happening too. We also need to consider that you, and soon Amelia, will be part of the same family, it's now important you know this information as well."

They all made their way through to one of the few serviceable rooms in the house where tea, coffee, pumpkin juice and a plate of cakes were waiting on them. Sitting around the kitchen table, Albus sipped his tea while resisting the temptation of cake. He would have a slice after he told his tale.

"Sirius, do you know why James and Lily went into hiding?"

"Voldemort was after them?"

"Yes, but there was a specific reason Voldemort was after them. To be rather more precise - after their son."

This had the undivided attention of everyone at the table, with the other four worried that Albus was going to reveal the secret of Harry and Hermione's trip 'back to the future'.

"A prophecy was made, claiming that a child would be born with the power to defeat the Dark Lord. Voldemort had no intention of waiting on that child growing to an age where he might one day challenge him. He set out that night to murder Harry, the prophesied child. James and Lily were simply in Voldemort's way."

While the shock of hearing this held the power to silence Sirius, it seemed to explain a few things for his fiancee. "That helps me understand part of what happened that night with Quirrell. Would you care to elaborate on what I saw when I flooed here, and why do I think it's linked to how a supposedly already dead Voldemort managed to escape that same night."

Deciding he now needed a piece of cake, Albus washed his first mouthful down with a sip of tea before answering. "I wont insult either of you by mentioning the need for secrecy over this. Once you hear what I've got to say, you can make up your own mind. I've thought ever since that Halloween this war wasn't over. I also had a suspicion of just how Voldemort managed not to die that night. It's only very recently I've had that suspicion confirmed. He created horcruxes, and yes - that's plural."

Putting those facts together posed many questions for Amelia, she immediately focused on the most important one however. "I thought it was impossible to have more than one, have you have any idea how many he made?"

The excellent chocolate cake was helping Albus get himself back on a more even keel. Seeing a representation of Arianna like that would see him needing something stronger than chocolate to get any sleep tonight. Nothing less than dreamless sleep potion would see him heading to bed at all. "It's supposed to be impossible, which is another reason it would appeal to Tom Riddle. The bad news is I have no idea how many he actually made. The truly excellent news is we destroyed two of them today - you witnessed the second of those."

"How the hell did you manage that?"

It was Hermione who answered that question from Amelia. "A very good friend of ours passed on the information that Lucius Malfoy had one, and intended to use it to cause death and destruction inside Hogwarts. Knowing this, we asked Professor Dumbledore to acquire some basilisk venom - in the hope we could get our hands on it. You see, we even knew who Malfoy's intended target was today - and had planned to steal it straight from them."

This actually raised a chuckle from Harry. "Malfoy must have thought he was being so smart, slipping the diary to Hermione while I was rolling on the floor with Weasley. He doesn't know that just saved us a job."

"Kreacher supplied the other one, apparently from Regulus Black. I for one want to find out how he got his hands on it." Hermione was looking at Sirius as she said this but his eyes never left his godson.

"Harry, I'm so sorry. This isn't the life me or your parents wanted for you."

"Look around the table, Sirius. I have a great life..." Hermione kissed his cheek at that as Harry then continued. "I've had a fabulous summer holiday with my family and friends, and we're really looking forward to Saturday night. If the rest of the country was like the people who'll be at that party, it wouldn't matter how many of these things Voldemort had - he'd already be beaten."

Sirius' hand just seemed to reach for Amelia's at hearing that, both drew comfort from the gesture because Harry wasn't anywhere near finished.

"Draco Malfoy publicly insulted half the people sitting at this table yet his father's apology was all about breaching etiquette. Why? Because he thinks of Hermione, Dan and Emma as worthless too - and so do most of his fellow purebloods. That's the attitude feeding Voldemort's cause, with both followers and gold. I'll do my very best to end the bastard once and for all, but not at the cost of even one of my friends - my family is already sacrosanct. Professor Dumbledore has been an immense help to us but Hermione and I have always been clear with him on one thing. Should Voldemort return, and his followers all flock to him, our number one priority will be getting our friends and family out of the country. I have to say, Sirius, Black Island seemed like a smashing bolt hole to us..."

Having polished off his cake, and now on his second cup of tea, Albus confirmed what Harry just said. "Since the three of us with experience of the first war know the country was only months from capitulating to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, I can't fault their reasoning or reactions. I also know that was a condition of their families allowing them to return to Hogwarts after Christmas. At the castle, we are trying to change attitudes. Alas, that won't happen overnight."

So many of the things that had happened recently now made sense to Amelia. She looked appraisingly at the young couple before asking another pertinent question. "The headmaster is obviously teaching you two more than potions but just how powerful are you?"

This drew a wry smile from Hermione. "Powerful enough that you could safely bet your vault on Harry beating Lockhart in their upcoming duel."

Albus' eyebrows rose at this, before hearing what had happened in the bookshop. The headmaster didn't see any way Lockhart's career as a defence professor could survive being defeated in a public duel with a student who was just entering their second year. Like Hermione, he was confident on how that contest would end. He would need to inform Minerva as soon as he got back to the castle, that news might actually put a smile on her face.

It was then time for Sirius to call Kreacher and discover how that locket ended up in the elf's possession, and what his brother, Regulus, had to do with it.

The old elf told his harrowing tale, a tale that had both Kreacher and Sirius in bits at the part where the faithful elf was given a direct order to leave his master in that cavern with the approaching inferi.

While Amelia held Sirius, it was Hermione who again knelt to offer Kreacher some comfort. "You are a good and loyal elf to the Black family, Kreacher. All the Black family ancestors will look down and approve of your actions. Today you avenged your master, you avenged your family."

Looking at the witch, Kreacher couldn't fail to hear the sincerity in her voice. He decided not to address her as mudblood. "Thank you, miss."

The emotional state Sirius was in, Amelia convinced him to come home with her. Albus offering to return the four to Crawley saw the last objection for Sirius not accepting Amelia's offer disappear. Yes they would all be meeting on Saturday at the party but this was not a subject that could be discussed outside this company. Everyone present also knew that was something that needed to happen - and soon.

Having managed to destroy two of Voldemort's abominations today, it had graphically been brought home to Albus that working with others was the best chance for them to end this. "Since everyone sitting here will want to see Harry's duel with Lockhart, can I suggest we all sit down together at Hogwarts the same day and see where we go from here. I still have a few drops of basilisk venom left, though I dare say we will never be as lucky again as we were today."

They agreed with all of that and Black Manor was soon empty as they left, Albus creating a portkey to the Grangers while Sirius and Amelia used the floo. In another part of the house, Kreacher began the long and arduous task of cleaning the neglected home. The elf now had his honour back, he could once more take pride in his work.

-oOoOo-

In Crawley, after Dumbledore had left to return to Hogwarts, it was another elf who found himself at the centre of congratulatory hugs. Hermione then attempted to head off the lecture she knew would be coming from her parents.

"Mum, dad, we were never in any danger inside that bookshop. Malfoy's original plan was to slip that diary to Ginny Weasley. Between Dobby, Harry and me, I'm certain we could have ensured it didn't go back to the Burrow with her. As you witnessed today, once getting our hands on on the diary we had plans - and a qualified person - in place to deal with it. We didn't tell you because we wanted you to act natural, though dad flattening Lockhart wasn't part of our plans either."

This diverted her father's attention. "I thought I better hit him, before either you or Harry destroyed him. We had already arranged the time off, since Dumbledore asked if we could be at the opening feast, so we'll at least get to see Harry take him apart. Tell me you've got something special planned for him?"

Harry just shrugging his shoulders was not the answer Dan was looking for.

"To be honest, Dan, in the great scheme of things - Lockhart is nothing more than an annoyance. Compared to what else happened today, he doesn't even rate a mention. We're back at Diagon Alley tomorrow for more clothes shopping, an engagement party on Saturday then spending the last week of the holidays with Neville. I might give the pratt some thought on the train ride to Hogwarts, not before."

His intended had a different way of looking at today's events. "Elves have now delivered two of Voldemort's horcruxes to us, that's a source we should not overlook when searching for the rest of these things."

"If word spread amongst elves that Harry Potter was searching for these things, it could help us. If another one was held by a death eater, we could not count on them having an elf who was as ready as Darla to help. That elf could also feel compelled to tell their master we were looking for something he held dear. Dobby will be at the meeting in the headmaster's office to hear what is said. Dobby will not be seen."

Dobby blushing as he mentioned Darla was ignored by everyone in the Grangers. They had all made it clear Darla would be welcomed with open arms into their family - should she ever get away from the Malfoy's grip. The four non-elves in the room were also certain that would be something Dobby would be working on.

"So, we see what that meeting with Dumbledore throws up - before deciding if that's a risk worth taking?" Since no one disagreed with Hermione, they now had the beginning of a plan for moving forward.

-oOoOo-

Petunia had just spent the afternoon with her family, yet not her family. Even while appearing uncanny like Vernon, Harry had still held his hand out for Hermione. Watching Vernon walk holding Hermione's hand, while Dudley strolled along attentively at his other side was the picture perfect image of a loving family.

Her Vernon had loved the dress robes she had worn to Harry and Hermione's award ceremony, she couldn't wait to see his expression when he came home and saw the robes they'd chosen for him to wear on Saturday night. Neither could Harry and Hermione, who were both staying to dinner so they could witness his reaction. Dudley was waiting to talk his father's ears off about all the wonderful things he'd seen while in Diagon Alley today.

The Dursleys were now looking forward to Amelia and Sirius' party, not something Petunia thought she would ever see happen.


	21. Scalped

**A/N **Rehearsals going very well though opening night seems to be racing toward us. With show only a matter of seven weeks away, will get at least one chapter written and posted before then (hopefully two)

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 21**

The five students said goodbye to Augusta on Platform nine and three quarters, knowing full well they would be seeing her again at tonight's opening feast in Hogwarts.

Harry and Hermione had certainly enjoyed staying the week with Neville. Parvati and Padma had joined them for the latter part of that week, with the five becoming even closer. Apart from Harry and Ron, Hermione hadn't really had any other friends the first time around. Even although she was older, Hermione had a good time hanging out with the twins. Harry too liked spending some time with Neville, without their girlfriends always being there.

Understanding this, Hermione was able to gently point Parvati into not being as clingy - giving Neville his own space. With Padma there too, Parvati began to realise that being Neville's girlfriend didn't mean she had to give up everything else. It was this slight change in attitude that had Hermione thinking these two could actually become a serious couple as they grew up together. Harry confirmed that Neville certainly appreciated the difference in Parvati as the summer had progressed.

Boarding the train, it was proving practically impossible to find a carriage that could accommodate all of them. After spotting a young girl sitting by herself, they opened the door and entered while Neville asked for permission.

"Excuse us. Do you mind if we share this carriage with you? The train is starting to get pretty full and we wanted to sit together."

Looking at Neville, the little blond girl put down the magazine she was reading and started to pack her things. Hermione was quick to correct her. "Oh, we don't want you to leave - you were here first. We just wondered if the five of us could share this carriage with you. I'm Hermione, this is Parvati, Padma, Neville and…"

"That's Harry Potter, so you must be his girlfriend, Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you, Hermione."

Chuckling while hanging Hedwig's cage on the provided hooks, Harry was now wearing a wry smile. "There are certainly worse things in life than being considered Hermione Granger's boyfriend."

This didn't seem to disturb the little blonde in the slightest. "Everyone knows you are famous, Harry - we all grew up knowing that. Hermione Granger though has only been in our world for a year but has made an impact that will last for a lifetime. Very few witches ever receive Orders of Merlin, never mind a First Class one. For a witch of non magical parents to do so, while still only twelve, is astonishing. Hermione Granger is an example to witches all over the country of just what it's possible to achieve."

Harry was ready to burst out laughing, seeing the stunned looks on all their friends faces stopped him. That, and the girl continuing to talk. "I always wanted to be an explorer. Roam the far away corners of the world looking to discover new species of magical animals. Hermione Granger achieving what she has lets the Luna Lovegood's of this country see their dreams can be more than that - they are attainable. Sorry, Luna is my name. I'm so pleased to meet you. Could I perhaps have an interview? My father is the owner and editor of the Quibbler…"

This time Harry couldn't hold his laughter as Hermione's chin was almost hitting the floor. "You have to admit, Hermione, her approach is a lot more polite than that photographer's in the bookshop."

Parvati appeared to be deep in thought as the five of them settled in to share the compartment with Luna. "You know, Luna here is actually right. We just tend to think of you as Hermione, our friend."

"And that's quite enough for me. Sorry Luna, all this fame nonsense just leaves me cold. I'm quite happy to sit and chat, we've always room for more friends, but let's give the interview a miss."

This resulted in some teasing from Padma. "Aw Hermione, it would be so interesting to read about you - and your intended."

Her twin sister was teasing right back at her though. "Padma just wants to know if you or Harry have any more cousins like Dudley tucked away anywhere."

Padma's blushing had all of her friends laughing. Dudley had made quite the impression on Padma, Hannah and Susan at the party last Saturday night - with all three promising to stay in touch. Dudley now had even more reason to look forward to visiting Hogwarts for the first quidditch match Harry would be involved in. With the engagement party being a formal occasion, Lord Potter and his intended were required to wear their Order of Merlin's. His Uncle Vernon saying he was proud of them, and was now sorry he had missed the awards ceremony, had made Harry's night.

As the chat moved around the carriage, Hermione was sitting thoughtfully. Using the excitement and noise of the express pulling out of the platform, Harry was able to pull her close so they could talk in whispers.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just not used to having people look up to me. We're deliberately trying to change things. It just never occurred to me we could still be radically altering people we weren't specifically targeting."

Harry glanced at the little blonde, sitting discussing with Padma some creature she one day hoped to prove the existence of, and then raised a questioning eyebrow to Hermione. Her thumb signed an L on the back of the hand of his she was holding, letting Harry know the explanation would have to wait until later.

She hadn't exactly known Luna first time around, all of Hogwarts though had certainly heard of Loony Lovegood. Trying to equate those stories with the young witch sharing their carriage simply didn't add up, and Hermione hated it when that happened. Luna appeared to have ditched wearing those radish earrings and the butter beer corks necklace that were something of a trademark look for her last time around.

When talk turned to houses and professors, Luna saying her daddy didn't believe Lockhart's six books were a suitable defence curriculum for a first year saw all eyes focus on Harry.

"We don't think they're suitable for second year either, which is why we have Harry and Hermione teaching us. Of course that might change after our Harry here kicks Lockhart's arse in their duel tomorrow. He might end up teaching the entire school…"

"Now Neville, you know that's not fair. Professor Lockhart has promised to go easy on Harry…" Parvati couldn't hold her laugh after repeating that ludicrous comment.

"Have you thought about how you're going to handle the duel?"

"Honestly, Padma, no. I thought about standing there and letting him fire a few curses at me, just to see what he's got. I'm not expecting him to have much, and I'm not intending to let anything he does fire hit me, otherwise I wouldn't even consider using a tactic like that."

Susan and Hannah dropped by for a visit, with Hermione and Parvati making room for them by sitting on their respective boyfriend's knee. For some reason this set Luna off giggling, leaving Padma to comment that Luna would have to get used to it if she hung about with them.

With Luna's smile now lighting up the carriage, that decision already seemed made. Hearing Hermione's mum and dad, and Neville's grandmother, would be some of her professors had Luna's face lighting up like a Christmas tree on the twenty fourth of December. She was also as excited as any kid on Christmas Eve about attending Hogwarts, that was in sharp contrast to her mood before these people had entered the carriage.

"I wasn't sure what to expect when I got on this train but now I'm really looking forward to my time in Hogwarts. Imagine, Getting lessons in Hogwarts from Hermione Granger's parents!"

Watching as the young girl hugged herself with excitement, images of a lonely witch sitting by herself at the end of the Ravenclaw table came to Hermione's mind. She couldn't imagine someone like Luna surviving the regime change that hit Hogwarts after Dumbledore's death, Hermione just didn't know any details - and had no intention of asking Dobby if he did. If having someone to admire could bring a change in Luna like this, she wondered how having that person Luna admired as her friend would affect the young blonde. Hermione was determined to find out. Luna wouldn't be a strange faceless victim this time around, not if she and Harry could help it.

-oOoOo-

The sorting hat appeared to still be in the huff from Harry's aborted resorting. Apparently this year's message was the shortest on record, with the hat refusing even to sing it.

_**I'm the sorting hat**_

_**It's what I do**_

_**If that's not good enough for you**_

_**Go home…**_

McGonagall recovered quickly, calling the first student to come forward and be sorted.

Getting a nudge from Harry, Hermione then spotted who he was looking at.

"And we thought Luna was excited. He looks like a springer spaniel, waiting to go for a walk."

Leaning in, Hermione whispered the bad news to Harry. "That's Colin Creevey. Next to Ginny, he was the school's biggest Harry Potter fan. He was also a Gryffindor…"

As the hat once more sorted Colin into the house of the lions, Harry groaned, rather than roared. With Colin running straight toward Harry, and introducing himself - still with the sorting hat on his head - Harry's groans set all his friends off laughing.

Luna's sorting seemed to take the longest so far, with the hat almost grudgingly placing her in Gryffindor. She too headed straight for Harry but that was because Hermione had waved her over. Sliding along, they made room for her next to Hermione. They were left having to slide down again when Ginny too made Gryffindor. Ginny sat next to Luna with her head down, trying to hide a blush that resembled a blood moon.

Ginny was also almost chanting 'not Gryffindor'. When they finally figured out what was happening, one or two Gryffindors then actually joined their newest recruit in her chant. Ginny's brother was just about to be resorted.

With his surname being Weasley, and his forename Ronald, the boy being forced to repeat first year found himself the last to be sorted. With his angry face matching his hair for colour, Ron pulled the hat down as far as it would go to hide from the hall.

_"Oh dear, a resorting! Ah, I can see why. Rushing blindly into a dangerous situation doesn't make you brave, just stupid. That stupidity also instantly disqualifies you from Ravenclaw. The fact that you left your former housemates behind in your quest to be a hero doesn't exactly endear you to Hufflepuff. That, and you and hard work are strangers to each other. Slytherin isn't a good fit either. You certainly have ambition, though no talent or work ethic to back that ambition up…"_

"Not Slytherin, not Slytherin…"

_"Not Slytherin? Ah well, I told Helga she was making a mistake when she said her house would teach the lot… Has to be Hufflepuff!"_

That the hat's proclamation was greeted by sighs of relief or groans, depending what table people were sitting at, did nothing to alleviate Ron's anger. A smattering of applause finally appeared as he took his seat at the end of the Hufflepuff table. With a Slytherin snake part of the Hogwarts Badge on his chest and a Hufflepuff badger on his arm, Ron preferred it when his house associations were greyed out. Someone was going to be unloaded upon before the night was out.

The other Hufflepuff first years were being made uncomfortable by their fellow but much taller first year's glowering. So much so, Cedric moved his seat and inserted himself between Ron and the other firsties.

"Welcome to Hufflepuff, Weasley. We're the house that welcome all comers, even those that don't want to be here. From the moment you stepped on the express today, there was only one place you were going to be sorted. You must have known that, everyone else did, so why all the anger?"

Ron was attempting to ignore everyone, trying to wallow in self pity while eating his dinner. The prefect and quidditch captain badges on Cedric's robe left him with no option but to answer the question. This was not someone Ron wanted to piss off his first night back in Hogwarts.

"Knowing it is one thing, experiencing that was a lot different to what I'd imagined. Being resorted was bloody embarrassing…"

Thinking about that, Cedric finally answered. "There have only been two resortings in the last hundred years or so, and you have been responsible for both of them. I certainly wouldn't recommend trying for a hat trick!"

The shock of hearing that actually stopped Ron eating. He looked to the prefect, hoping Cedric would explain that remark.

"The Hufflepuff way to deal with this would be to become something of a mentor to the other first years in the house - even showing them the way to their classes would be a great help. You know what's in front of them, they don't. A word of warning though. The shit you pulled while a Gryffindor just won't be accepted in Hufflepuff. A house censure from us leaves you with nowhere else to go but out the main door. Think of that before letting your temper dictate your actions."

Cedric didn't say anymore, he just quietly ate his dinner. Ron however was running those words through his head. Where Cedric had said mentor, Ron was thinking leader. Yes, this might not be as bad as he originally thought.

At the staff table, Gilderoy was talking about his favourite subject - himself.

"The villagers were so delighted I'd run off the vampires, the were going to declare that day an annual holiday - Gilderoy Lockhart day. That is my main concern about this supposed duel tomorrow. I'm used to fighting some of the most dangerous creatures on the planet, not someone barely into his teens. I'm actually frightened I might hurt Harry during the duel."

This was her first meal with this prat but already Minerva was struggling to restrain herself from strangling him. "Oh you needn't worry about duelling a teenager, Gilderoy."

A wide smile played on his lips, thinking the school was now going to cancel the duel. Minerva then kicked him in his shiny white teeth.

"Mister Potter is only twelve, and won't reach his teens until next summer. I've actually cancelled all classes tomorrow. The spectacle of our new defence against the dark arts professor duelling the defeater of the dark lord is not something to be missed. I want all the students and staff there to see it."

Petunia was sitting between Emma and Augusta, her emotions all over the place. Not only did she get to witness the sorting, Petunia Dursley nee Evans was now a professor in Hogwarts. She had been thinking about an eleven year old Lily having that hat placed on her head when her day dreaming was interrupted by the prat everyone could see was getting desperate. He had obviously misread her thoughtfulness as apprehension.

"Ma'am, I understand your anxiety over your nephew having to face a professor in a duel. It all seems so unnecessary."

Petunia's stare pinned Gilderoy like some colourful bug about to be dissected. "You tried to grope Hermione, you deserve everything my nephew is going to do to you."

"I hardly think…"

"And that is your problem, you don't think. The last person who held your job also threatened Hermione, my nephew beat him to death with his bare hands. Unless you're more of a challenge than this dark lord who murdered my sister - Harry's mother - then I expect you to be defeated tomorrow. To be honest, most of us sitting at this table are expecting the same result."

The predatory grins greeting Gilderoy as his gaze travelled up and down the table informed the defence professor this woman spoke the truth. He made to rise when McGonagall stopped him.

"Professor Lockhart. It is customary to wait until the Headmaster introduces the new members of staff to the students before leaving. As a new member of staff, staying until at least then is mandatory. Kindly wait until after being introduced before running away…"

That had a few of the professors doing spit-takes, with Dan's loud laughter ringing around the table. Gilderoy was forced to just sit there and endure it, the implied insult from McGonagall passing right over his head.

Dumbledore was almost tempted to draw out Lockhart's suffering but the children, especially the younger ones, had just endured a long and exciting day. He stood and walked to the podium, giving all the rules and regulations first. The Forbidden Forest is called that for a reason and so on.

"I would now like to introduce you to our new defence against the dark arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart."

That Dumbledore hadn't mentioned any of his achievements, or awards, hurt Gilderoy a lot less than the muted applause that greeted his theatrical bow. Didn't these children know how many hours he'd practiced that bow in front of his mirror.

"Now you may have heard Professor Lockhart issued a challenge for an honour duel..." Albus had to stop for a moment as laughter broke out amongst the students, as well as some chants of Harry, Harry. Since this fact had been all over the Prophet since the incident in the bookshop, the vast majority of those in the hall clearly appreciated his slight joke. Albus knew the students would appreciate his next announcement even more.

"As a special school treat, period one tomorrow has been cancelled - to allow everyone to witness this duel. I don't anticipated it lasting into period two."

This was greeted by more laughter from the Gryffindor table before the Headmaster introduced the teachers of their new courses.

"This year, Hogwarts will introduce a new course for our younger students, Cultural Studies. Teaching the magical side of this new course is the lady who instigated the entire program. Madam Augusta Longbottom is not only a member of one of Britain's oldest wizarding families, she sits on the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts Board of Governors."

The applause for Augusta was loud and genuine, almost causing the witch in question to blush. Albus then introduced the remaining teachers.

"The non magical portion of this course will be taught by people eminently qualified to do so. Dan and Emma Granger not only have a daughter currently attending Hogwarts, they are extremely successful health care professionals who are making time in their busy schedules to attend Hogwarts and teach our youngest students about the world that surrounds us. Petunia Dursley has known about magic since she was a teenager, and her younger sister attended Hogwarts. She has also raised young Harry since that horrible Halloween that robbed us of James and Lily Potter."

Again the applause was way louder than that Gilderoy had received, pissing him off even more. Things had reached a sorry state when muggles were more appreciated than he was.

"The magical side of this new course was initiated on a voluntary basis at the end of last year, proving to be a tremendous success. I'm really looking forward to seeing this new initiative in action, and might pop into a few classes myself. After all, you're never too old to learn something new..." Albus was smiling at Harry and Hermione as he said this, while the rest of the school just assumed he'd cracked another joke. He sent them all away to their beds happy, thinking that was a successful opening feast.

As Luna and Ginny were led away along with the rest of the first years, the two Gryffindor couples were joined by Padma before making their way to the staff table. They were greeted by Emma, Dan and Petunia, with Augusta saying goodnight and reminding them she would see them tomorrow for the duel.

McGonagall then asked Harry if he had a strategy for the duel, Harry was almost embarrassed admitting he hadn't. "To be honest, Professor, I really don't consider Lockhart a threat. That day in the bookstore, both Dan and I were angry enough to take him apart. Now, he hardly seems worth bothering about. Remember, it was Lockhart who issued the challenge - now he's trying to weasel out of it. I'll just take tomorrow as it comes, though I had to promise Hermione I'd be careful."

With the duel on the tip of everyone's lips, it was refreshing for Minerva to hear the person at the centre of all the talk had other things on his mind. Like the rest of the staff, Minerva was also expecting Harry to win tomorrow. What would happen to Lockhart after that was the only uncertainty. One thing she was sure of though, he wasn't leaving Hogwarts without refunding its students for all the useless books he made them purchase.

The three non magical professors had asked if they could keep the quarters they'd used when in the castle before, this had the five students walking along with them. When Padma had to break off for Ravenclaw Tower, she shyly asked Petunia if Dudley would be coming to Hogwarts to see the duel.

"Sorry Padma, Dudley started his school this week too. He will be coming here for the first quidditch match, which will be earlier this year. That's when the non magical families will be visiting Hogwarts. Emma, Dan and I will be acting as guides that weekend - showing them just what's possible."

Knowing Dudley was going to be here for the entire weekend, and sooner than she thought, had Padma practically skipping off to her house. Thinking of the people Dudley had previously been hanging around with had Petunia smiling too. Padma, Susan and Hannah were all such lovely young ladies.

"Breakfast tomorrow will be a circus, with me as the main attraction. Do you mind if we eat it with you, in your room, before going down to the quidditch pitch?"

Emma had Harry in a hug at that. "Of course. We'll just have to let Sirius and Amelia know where we are."

Some more hugs were exchanged before the two couples then walked the short distance to the fat lady's portrait, Hermione having gotten the password from a prefect while sitting at the Gryffindor table. They managed to get through the common room and were soon in what they considered their flat, it was time for bed.

"Mmmm, I've missed this."

Snuggling in to her intended, Hermione couldn't help but tease. "I didn't realise that you liked this bedroom so much..."

"The bedroom doesn't matter, it's cuddling into my intended I missed. For most of the holidays this wasn't available to us and I think I'm addicted. This is also an addiction I have no intention of fighting against, I will happily snuggle into you every night for the rest of my life..."

After gently kissing Harry, Hermione was left confirming her intention to do her very best to help him with his addiction. Not to fight it, rather satisfy it.

-oOoOo-

Sirius and Amelia had arrived in the morning with a set of duelling robes for Harry. After changing into them, Hermione went and knelt before him.

"Help me Obi Wan Kanobi, you're my only hope..."

Harry waved his hand in front of her before muttering "These are not the droids you're looking for..."

Both then collapsed into laughter, much to the amusement and utter confusion of everyone else in the room.

His family led the way down to the quidditch pitch, forming around him to keep all the well wishers away. Dumbledore and McGonagall were waiting at the side of the pitch, the headmaster to take Harry forward while McGonagall led the rest to their seats. Harry and Hermione ignored the cheering as they shared their most passionate public kiss to date, it was a focused individual who left with Dumbledore to await Lockhart's arrival.

As the time of the duel approached, Gilderoy finally arrived. Flying in on a broom with a cape and his golden locks flapping behind him might have looked good but Harry couldn't miss Lockhart was clinging to the broom in fear. That fear disappeared when his feet touched the grass, it would seem he wasn't much of a flier either.

As he boldly strode toward them, the difference in their attire was also startling. While Harry's duelling robe was lose and flowed rather than restricting his movements, Lockhart had chosen the opposite extreme. His clothing was skintight, with his trousers probably cutting off the blood supply to his lower body. While Harry was no fashion aficionado, and Dumbledore had a style all of his own, neither considered Lockhart's attire to be either practical or attractive.

"Ah, young Harry..."

"Professor, in this situation you are dealing with Lord Potter. Headmaster, could you please go over the rules? It wouldn't surprise me if the Professor here didn't bother to read them, for a duel he initiated."

"When I fight, they're usually aren't any rules. Why I remember..."

Dumbledore shut the braggart down before Gilderoy could hit his stride. "All the more reason why I should follow Lord Potter's suggestion."

Lockhart's colour was fading the more he heard. As Dumbledore mentioned the Unforgivables were of course forbidden, he appeared ready to pass out. As referee, Dumbledore moved them to their positions and counted the combatants in.

At twenty paces apart, Gilderoy's stunner hardly reached Harry and certainly wouldn't threaten his shield. Not that he cast one. With Lockhart shouting his spells and telegraphing his aim, Harry simply had to step aside and avoid the few spells actually cast on target.

Gilderoy knew he was in trouble. He'd spent the last few minutes firing everything he had at the boy, and was being ignored. Potter had yet to use his wand, even to shield. Gilderoy discovered how much trouble he was in as a sharp pain suddenly penetrated his scalp.

Harry was watching Lockhart and didn't spot the stealthy approach until it was too late to do anything about it. Hedwig ghosted silently behind the wizard who was trying to harm her wizard, sinking her talons into his head.

Lockhart screamed like a girl, waving his arms wildly at the attacking owl. Whether it was this or Harry shouting at Hedwig to leave that saw the snowy owl pulling away was unknown. What was certain though was that Hedwig took a trophy with her, the golden locks that Lockhart was so proud of - and were clearly as fake as the rest of him.

Gilderoy took aim at the bird that was stealing his favourite wig, only for a spell to rip that wand out of his hand. Harry had been unable to cast while Hedwig was on Lockhart's head, seeing the supposed professor aim his wand at the beautiful owl was all the motivation needed to end this. With Hedwig still in the vicinity, Harry's Expelliarmus was cast with a precision not seen in all Lockhart's efforts. That this spell was instantly followed by an Incarcerous and Stupify soon left an unconscious and wandless Lockhart lying tied up by ropes on the grass. That Hedwig's talons had scratched his head saw Lockhart's blood covering the bald part previously concealed by the wig.

The laughter and cheers meant nothing to Harry, he was far to concerned with Hedwig's condition. Calling his familiar, she landed on his outstretched arm and emitted what sounded like a victory bark.

"You silly bird, you could have been hurt! It's my fault I suppose for not ending it sooner..." Harry was stopped by Hedwig presenting him with her trophy, Lockhart's wig. While he didn't want to touch the thing, he couldn't refuse Hedwig.

"Thank you, girl, that was so brave of you." Harry quickly dropped the wig onto the grass but Hedwig didn't mind, she understood her wizard needed that hand to pet her. After discovering Hedwig had nothing more than a few ruffled feathers, Harry began to relax and notice his surroundings.

A smiling Dumbledore was approaching. "Lord Potter, I assume that wasn't planned?"

"No Sir. Hedwig saw someone firing curses at me and reacted."

"A familiar protecting her wizard, perfectly natural and understandable. Something we should perhaps have considered while holding the duel outside. There is nothing in the rules about that, therefore I declare Lord Potter the winner."

It was only then Harry realised what they were saying was being broadcast to the stands, with Dumbledore's announcement resulting in a mighty cheer. Harry also noticed Hermione sprinting towards them, or should that be Hedwig. She had actually cared for the owl a few years longer than the single one that Harry had memories of. This was proven to be true when Harry received a quick kiss before all Hermione's attention and concern switched to the preening owl.

"Oh Hedwig, what a brave and clever owl you are. While Lord Potter here was messing about, you showed him how to deal with a pest."

Lockhart had been revived by the Headmaster. Looking over at the bird receiving all the attention almost had him in tears. "That vicious raptor attacked me when I wasn't looking, Potter cheated!"

There was a gasp around the stands before Dumbledore spoke. "Surely a man of your documented talents could cope with an angry post owl reacting to you firing curses at her wizard? Publicly calling the Lord of an Ancient and Noble family a cheat is also not a course I would recommend..."

At that, Harry responded. "It's okay, Professor. No one actually believes a word Lockhart says or writes anyway, he's nothing but a fake." As if to emphasise that point, Harry's wand set Lockhart's wig on fire before he, Hermione and Hedwig left the pitch.

Waiting until they had cleared the area covered by the broadcasting spell, Harry then had a word with his owl. "I hope you don't intend to make a habit of this. Do I need to lock you in your cage next time I play quidditch? I don't think Dumbledore will let you away with attacking the opposition beaters every time they fire a bludger at me..."

Hedwig moved up Harry's arm and onto his shoulder before affectionately butting heads with him. Hermione then slipped by Harry's side as they walked back to their family and friends. Hedwig stayed for the ride, and all the congratulations that she felt sure were going to come her way.

Sirius and Dan had been laughing so hard, they both had tears in their eyes. Neville soon set them off again - along with almost everyone else.

"Lockhart wants us to believe he spent a year with the yeti yet he couldn't handle a snowy owl!"

-oOoOo-

After being kicked out of the infirmary, the stupid healer saying his wounds were nothing more than scratches she'd casually waved her wand over, Gilderoy was at a loss about what to do next.

His first instinct was to quit Hogwarts and put this nightmare behind him. Initially he thought this would be easy, since McGonagall seemed most agreeable to the idea, until she introduced a proviso. He could leave Hogwarts, directly after reimbursing every student who was forced to buy the books he'd specified for his defence course. Since he'd already spent over half of that money on new outfits to impress the students, Gilderoy Lockhart had an image to maintain, there was no way he was willing or able to do this.

Walking back to his quarters, Gilderoy was left pondering the question of what to do next. He was forced to admit, only to himself, that he'd just been publicly humiliated by a twelve year old and his owl. His reputation was in ruins...

It was then Gilderoy had his epiphany - these children didn't know his reputation! Since it was looking like he was going to be forced to teach here for at least a year, he would teach the students about one of the wizarding world's greatest heroes - Gilderoy Lockhart.

He could start their first lesson with a quiz, just to see how much they actually knew about him. After establishing that, it would then be time to enact some of the more heroic scenes from his written works. A few weeks of learning about their new defence professor should see today's debacle soon relegated to nothing more than a bad memory.

Now with a sense of purpose, Gilderoy hurried to his apartment. He needed to get another wig before anyone else saw him. He intended to totally ignore the fact that all of Hogwarts had witnessed Hedwig making off with his last hairpiece.

-oOoOo-

The group of friends accompanied Dan, Emma, Petunia, Augusta, Sirius and Amelia to the edge of the Hogwarts wards to say goodbye. With Cultural Studies timetabled for Monday mornings, Dan and Emma would be back in the castle from Saturday. Like Augusta, Petunia would arrive by portkey on Monday morning.

The snowy owl was still on Harry's shoulder, and Emma was currently telling Hedwig she would bring a box of owl treats for the most special owl in the country. The clever owl emitted a little bark of agreement, causing all the adults to leave with grins on their faces.

Both couples, Padma, Susan and Hannah were heading back to the castle only to find Hagrid waiting on them. Wearing an infectious wide smile, it was soon apparent exactly who Hagrid was waiting for.

"Did yeh lot have a good holiday?"

Noticing Hagrid was excited to tell them about his, Harry gave his large friend that opening. "We had a great holiday, but somehow I don't think it was as good as yours?"

"Arry, I can' thank yeh an' Ermione enough. T'was a dream come true. I got a little somethin' fer yeh..."

Accepting the badly wrapped parcel, Harry began to open it. "Hagrid you shouldn't have - Shit! Is that Norbert?"

The framed photograph of the Norwegian Rigeback was taking everyone's breath away, but Hagrid was like a proud parent showing off a picture of their baby. "Ain' he a little beauty?"

A horrified Neville couldn't take his eyes off the moving picture. "Hagrid, there's nothing little about Norbert. How the hell were you going to raise that in your cottage?" It was only after seeing everyone staring at him that Neville realised he'd said something he shouldn't.

It was Hermione who then took command of the situation. "Okay everyone, that's not something we want spread around the castle - or anywhere else for that matter. My parents would go ape if they found out I was involved in this, with Harry's aunt and Neville's gran probably worse..."

The rumours had flooded Hogwarts at the time but here was confirmation. "Neville Longbottom, what possessed you to get involved smuggling a dragon out of the castle?"

While Parvati was shocked, her twin came at it from a different angle. "Never mind that, which one of you stripped Malfoy?"

"Yuk! We had nothing to do with that. There are plenty of people in Hogwarts who don't like that little shit..."

Hermione's expression of disgust convinced all of them they had nothing to do with divesting Draco, before dangling him from the ceiling. Susan spoke for all of them when claiming their lips were sealed. Both her and Hannah were delighted they'd asked to be part of the second year group not taking their defence lessons from Lockhart. It would seem Hermione and Harry were well qualified to teach it - certainly more than Lockhart.

-oOoOo-

With Lavender, Seamus and Dean also asking to join them for defence, there were now ten students partaking in the newly founded second year defence self study program. Since Hermione had written up the course objectives that McGonagall had agreed to, she was also the person writing the lesson plans.

As she had already received an Outstanding at NEWT level for defence, and most of the other subjects she was currently having to retake as a second year, this was something Hermione actually enjoyed. Thanks to all their extra training, Harry was already way beyond second year level so was also a great help.

The result of this was their eight friends leaving the first defence lesson while happily proclaiming it was the best ever - only to find a beleaguered reception committee of fellow second year students waiting for them in the corridor. As Hermione and Harry pushed their way to the front, all of these students tried to speak at once.

"You have to help us..."

"Man's a menace..."

"Released Cornish Pixies into the class..."

"He ran away when they took his wand..."

"Please help us..."

"We don't want to go back in there..."

Noticing a few Slytherins amongst the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, Harry was inclined to say yes. He turned to Hermione for her thoughts on the matter. As usual, his intended had immediately focused on the practicalities involved in dramatically increasing their numbers.

"We're going to need a bigger classroom!"


	22. Rogue

**You're My Density**

AN - I don't know if my memory is playing tricks on me or whether it's just old age catching up - I simply don't remember putting on a school show being this much hard work! The end result though is even less time for writing fan fiction. While the show being just over three weeks away from our performances might be good news for my FFN readers, it's terrifying me - and my young cast.

Chances of another chapter of YMD being posted before then are pretty slim. The good news, these shows are at best an annual event. My schedule should clear by Christmas, after having edited the performances into a DVD. Our progress can be followed on the school's Twitter account- at TaylorHS1982 (reminder: FFN chews up addresses and links)

**Chapter 22 - Rogue**

The three new 'professors' stood nervously as their first class entered the classroom. Even the trio knowing some of the students didn't help those nerves, neither did seeing the headmaster make an appearance and sit at the back of the class. They all knew why he was there however, to ensure none of the more disruptive students made an attempt to sabotage their inaugural lesson.

The headmaster was also aware that, should the likes of Draco Malfoy try to pull anything like that in this classroom, Hermione and Harry would instantly retaliate. Minerva would only smile when he asked exactly what would be taught here, so Albus was also looking forward to the lesson.

Dan was one of those people who liked to tackle things straight on, and did so here. "Good morning everyone, and welcome to your first ever class of Cultural Studies. Your professors of this new subject have all spent the last few months studying the differences between our cultures, so we could perhaps understand what best to teach you. Wherever and whatever we looked at the problem, the answer was obvious - and also the same - Magic! This led us to the question, what is magic?"

With Hermione, Harry and Neville deliberately keeping their hands down, it was left to a few others to try and answer that. They didn't get far.

"Every one of those explanations were examples of what magic can do, not what it actually is. Our scientists believe that everything in the universe is made up of energy - that would therefore have to include magic too. There is also a law of nature that says energy can neither be created nor destroyed, just converted into one form from another."

It was here Emma took over. "Magic would then become an energy possessed by witches and wizards, an energy they attend Hogwarts to learn how to control and use. This energy resource grows within each of you, settling down as you mature." Looking to Dumbledore, Emma decided to ask his opinion on their theory.

"I have to say I've never thought about magic like that, and I can't fault your conclusions."

"Professor, would I be right in saying it's been some time since you sat your OWL and NEWT exams? The reason I'm asking is not to discover your age, rather how much the exams have changed since those days?"

With his smile showing he understood what Emma was really asking, Albus answered the question. "I can indeed confirm it has been some time since I sat those exams. I suspect you already know those exams have hardly changed since those far off days too."

"Thank you, Headmaster. Suspected, yes, but it's nice to have that confirmed."

It was now Petunia's turn to present the next part of their well rehearsed lesson. "While the magical community has hardly changed in that timeframe either, the non magical one has evolved practically beyond recognition. While we may not have magic as a source of energy available to us, many more sources have been harnessed to meet our ever growing needs. How to show this was a major problem though, since almost all of our electronic devices won't work within the castle's walls. While sitting discussing this, we had something of a breakthrough. Harry, Hermione, Neville, Parvati, Padma and Madam Longbottom were all in the Grangers' house, yet their devices still worked. Trying a few devices in the Longbottoms' home, and finding they worked too, led us to believe it's the high concentration of magic within the castle that stops electronic devices working inside Hogwarts."

Dan was now taking an odd looking thing out of a large box. "We bought a very old film projector, one built before modern electronics were invented, and discovered the magic of Hogwarts didn't affect it. We're going to power it using a charged lead / acid battery - something magic shouldn't affect either. Getting old films for this device was rather easy, it was making new ones that were the problem. Luckily we found someone who could develop the films we could now shoot, allowing us to bring everything up to date. This should also allow us to show you just how much things have changed."

Hermione had discovered that the charms and potions used to produce magical photographs merely needed tweaking to develop the film. The colour wasn't quite right, there seemed to be a purplish hue to everything, but it was certainly fit for the purpose they intended.

Dan projected an old black and white film of London onto the screen they had also brought to Hogwarts. While there were some motorised vehicles on the roads, the majority of the traffic was still horse drawn. While Emma and Petunia provided live commentary, the next scene was still London but now in the fifties. To those of magical descent, the changes were startling. When Dan began showing film that he'd recorded over the summer, he was receiving unbelieving looks that had nothing to do with the colour being slightly off. He had this covered though, as Neville and Parvati walked into the shot - proving the film's authenticity beyond doubt.

"In the same timescale where your exams haven't change, we have gone from thinking it was acceptable to send children up chimneys and down mines to work - to seeing men walk on the moon. I don't want anyone to think it's all been plain sailing though, two devastating global conflicts have also been fought. The first World War was supposed to be the conflict that ended all conflicts. With around thirty eight million people dead, it's easy to understand how that thinking came to be. Two decades later though, World War Two was upon us. This time sixty million people lost their lives."

It was easy to see the students struggling to comprehend numbers like that, the adults couldn't get their heads around them either. Emma then took over the narrative.

"These lessons are not about measuring one culture against the other but we really have to highlight some of our differences. To understand those differences, we have to look back at the roots of what caused them. Without question, those wars influenced Britain into becoming the country it is today. History teaches us war is a great innovator, it's the side with the best means of waging that war who usually wins."

Petunia then took the lesson back where they wanted it, using some large advertising posters to illustrate the points they were making. "Not all wars are fought on battlefields however, commercial pressure means companies can't rest on their laurels least their competitors overtake them - and put them out of business. That is how we get from this, to this." The first poster was of a vintage car, easily recognisable as a 'horseless carriage'. The next featured car was an old Ford Anglia, the difference between the two was startling. The VW Golf was clearly another step up but the bright red Ferrari Testarossa looked like a completely different animal - especially when compared to the first picture of the classic car. While at the planning stage of this lesson, a smiling Harry had suggested using a picture of a DeLorean - though his aunt didn't get the joke.

Unveiling her final pair of posters, Petunia placed the first magical poster beside that of the oldest car. "The Moontrimmer was the best broom around in nineteen-o-one, the same year this car was manufactured. As you would expect, it's slow by today's standards though still easily recognisable as a broom - and three to four times faster than the car of the same era. You will all recognise the poster for the new Nimbus two thousand and one, which is one of the best brooms around - and slower than the Ferrari."

Draco's sense of disbelief had just been pushed too far. How dare these muggles even suggest one of their stupid machines could be faster than the brooms his father had bought for the Slytherin quidditch team. "That can't be right. The new Nimbus can reach one hundred and fifty!"

It was Dan who answered him. "That's what our research told us too. What you don't know is that the Ferrari pictured there has a top speed of one hundred and eighty. You would need to take it onto a racetrack to get anywhere near that speed however, since it would be illegal to drive that fast on our roads."

"Our government have machines that fly ten times faster than the Nimbus, and can reach over nine miles high. I know that more than a few of you are sitting there not believing a word of what I'm saying, and that is our task. We have to somehow get through to you that this is all true."

Emma seamlessly followed on from Petunia, they were beginning to settle into their lesson now. "You are perhaps beginning to understand some of the challenges we were faced with - magic is real and our daughter's a witch? We almost ran Professor McGonagall out of our house." The very thought of that happening caused some laughter in the classroom, and also had Emma smiling. "Magic, unicorns and dragons are as big a shock to us as all this is to you - let's not even mention trolls."

This drew more laughter as Dan again took the bull by the horns, knowing from Augusta what fears some of the more radical purebloods would have about their muggle lessons. "We actually support the statute of secrecy, our world is certainly not ready to learn there are witches and wizards living amongst us. This doesn't mean however that, for those in the know, these two worlds have to be kept separate. We just spent a very enjoyable summer becoming immersed in wizarding culture while introducing witches and wizards to ours."

While somewhat appeased at hearing that, those same purebloods weren't sure what to think about Dan's next proposal. "To make this work, we really need to take you out of Hogwarts - and into our world. As the course progresses, and you learn more about us, plans will be made on the best way to go about that. We're really not into handing out homework but what we have here is some teen fiction - stories written about people your age in our world. What we would like you to do is to have at least read some of it by the time we meet next - that's in two weeks. Then we will try and explain anything you didn't understand in the books. These are all different books so, if you finish yours, please feel free to swap with someone who has read theirs too. Now, we would like to hear from you what you thought about this introductory lesson today - and anything you would like us to include in future lessons..."

That was like lighting the blue touch paper, the questions and suggestions just exploded out of the inquisitive students. Lavender's suggestion of learning about fashion was somewhat derided by a few of her fellow classmates until Emma stepped in.

"The British fashion industry keeps almost a million people in jobs, and generates billions of pounds in revenues. Like cars, those fashions are ever changing. We are also led to believe that this is the one area witches and wizards get really wrong when interacting with our world - putting the statute of secrecy at unnecessary risk. Headmaster, sorry to keep picking on you but how have Hogwarts robes changed in the same sort of timeframe?"

"Were my second year robes still available, they wouldn't really differ from the ones our Gryffindors wear here today. Including the Hogwarts badge on our robes is the first change to our school robes in living memory. Just from sitting here this morning, I can see there is a lot we've gotten wrong about a subject that should be close to all our hearts. I know Hogwarts students will really benefit from these lessons. After all, it's important that you learn all you can about your neighbours."

The bell ringing for the end of the lesson was a disappointment for most of the students, pleasing the three teachers no end. With quick exchanges between the family that they would see each other next weekend, the students all shot off to their next class.

Albus shook all three of their hands, and promised to help them any way he could, just as a smiling Augusta entered. "I spotted your students' leaving, told you there was nothing to worry about. Neville, Parvati, Padma, Susan and Hannah have all been talking non stop about what they've seen this summer, the rest will be no different."

-oOoOo-

The buzz around Hogwarts from the younger students about how good their cultural studies classes were was kinda overshadowed by the vibes coming from Lockhart's dreadful defence lessons. Hermione and Harry found themselves continually being approached by older students, looking for information on how to go about setting up their own self study classes. They explained the criteria that needed to be met before McGonagall would allow them to skip liar Lockhart's lessons.

This was why, at their next self study class, there were older students sitting at the back and taking notes. As the period ended, Harry and Hermione found themselves faced with some disconsolate students - though none of them were second years.

"That's not self study..."

"You're basically teaching that class..."

"And doing a far better job than any professor we've had for defence."

Hermione was blushing at the praise, though only Harry knew she could teach all seven years of the course if she wanted to. That's basically what Hermione was doing with him as they trained.

"We don't have anyone like you two in our year - in any other year actually. I don't see how this could work for us."

They were then offered a solution from the young witch whom the tab 'genius' was beginning to be applied to by more and more students. "What if you split the course up between everyone in the study group? Everyone could then be responsible for researching and teaching a specific part of the course to the rest of you. You will also need to ensure there's someone over seventeen in each class. I know it's not a perfect solution, but it must be better than Lockhart?"

The difference in their demeanour as they left, profusely thanking both the younger students for their help, had Harry chuckling as he wrapped his arms around Hermione. "I am so glad I conned you into agreeing to be my girlfriend. Apart from the part where my bits were nearly frozen off, best decision I ever made. Some of them seemed ready to get down on one knee and propose to my beautiful intended."

A grinning Hermione kissed his cheek as she kept the banter going. "This from the boy who just has to enter a room and girls drool..." Feeling the shudder of dread that ran through Harry set Hermione chuckling.

"So not funny. I know that the girl who will become a teenager next weekend is years older than that, and really loves me. Having an eleven year old girl lusting after me is very disturbing, I don't even want to think about Colin following me everywhere."

Hermione couldn't contain her laughter anymore. "Harry, Ginny probably doesn't know what lust is. She just has a bad case of hero worship, alongside a massive crush. She should grow out of it, as will Colin."

"Luna looks to you as an example, that doesn't mean her elbow ends up in the butter dish at breakfast - nor does she take pictures and ask you to sign them."

Snuggling into Harry's embrace, Hermione took the conversation back to a more serious level. "Luna could do all of that and I would smile before agreeing. Her being placed in Gryffindor shows how much we had already changed Luna, and that was before we met. Like us, she struggled to make friends. I didn't really know her from before but can't remember anyone ever filling that role. That won't happen this time, not if I have anything to do with it."

"When you get passionate about something, there's a fire in those gorgeous brown eyes that I find oh so sexy. I really can't wait until these bodies grow a bit older." Harry followed that with a kiss that had them late for lunch.

-oOoOo-

Draco had been looking forward to this moment since before boarding the train to Hogwarts. He, along with the other Slytherin hopefuls were being led by Professor Vector to the quidditch pitch. There, they would compete for all seven positions on the Slytherin quidditch team. To make things fair, Professor Vector was going to conduct the trials using the new brooms Slytherin had been gifted. Since Draco had flown on one of those brooms every day of the summer holidays, he thought this was really a 'fair' solution. The idea that he would have an advantage had his inner Slytherin smirking. That disappeared the instant he spotted the Gryffindor team on the pitch.

"What are you lot doing here? Slytherin has the pitch booked..."

He was silenced by his head of house, though Septima was about to ask the same questions when she spotted Minerva approaching - with visitors.

"Sorry Professor Vector. I know you have the pitch booked today and I had hoped to have this done before your house appeared. We just need to take some publicity pictures and then the pitch is of course all yours."

A tall wizard who was wearing a bright blue fedora hat and strangely cut burgundy robes sat a long case on the grass, indicating to the three people with him that they should do the same with the two cases each was carrying, before his gaze fell upon the Slytherin brooms.

"Nimbus two thousand and one's, not bad. Should provide some competition for our brooms, though I'm still expecting to win. Especially since our brooms are better, and will be flown by the current Hogwarts champions."

With a flourish of the tall wizard's wand, all seven of the cases opened and the brooms they contained floated over to the Gryffindor team. A silver lightning bolt was the only decoration on the jet black sleek broomsticks. With everyone staring at them in awe, this seemed all the excuse the tall man needed to continue talking.

"We've been looking for an opportunity to break into the British broom market for some time, Nimbus, Cleansweep and Comet had pretty much carved up the country between them. It would have cost us a fortune in advertising even to gain a toehold, and then young Harry's letter landed on my desk. Sponsoring the Gryffindor quidditch team was just too good an offer to pass up, and our new Bolt's should suit them..."

An angry Draco couldn't contain himself. "You mean Potter's getting those brooms for free?"

"No sonny, that's not how these things work in business. The Gryffindor team will be posing with their new brooms for the press, and hopefully retaining this year's quidditch cup flying them."

Draco apparently only thought he was angry before. Potter and the Gryffindors were not only getting new brooms for free, they would be plastered all over the press saying so. Hagrid leading a bunch of photographers and reporters to the pitch just emphasised that point.

Their head of house laughing was not what Draco expected to hear.

"Mister Potter, are you sure you shouldn't have been a Slytherin? That was very well played."

"Thank you, Professor. If someone was really cunning though, wouldn't they use that guile to get sorted anywhere but Slytherin?"

Still laughing, Septima turned to her own house and began organising her hopefuls into the positions they wished to try out for, while the press were all over the Gryffindor team. She would wait until she'd seen her hopefuls fly before choosing a captain.

The Gryffindors flew a few quick laps around the pitch for the photographers before calling it a day. Each walking past with the case that held their new broom as Minerva approached the Slytherins.

"Sorry for holding up your trials, Professor Vector. Good luck with putting a team together." Minerva didn't exactly say 'you're going to need it', the sparkle in the Head of Gryffindor's eyes said it for her.

Draco was now the one facing glares from his fellow hopefuls. With Slytherin having to rebuild a complete new team, they had been offered the same deal Gryffindor received last year - namely delaying their first match. Draco's voice had been the loudest against this, claiming their new brooms would give them a massive advantage over the other three teams. Draco wanted the first time that advantage was put to good use to be against Gryffindor.

Defeating the current champions was something the entire house longed for, and they didn't take much convincing. That wasn't what they were choosing to remember now however. The game had been brought forward slightly to allow visitors to attend, and their supposed broom advantage had at best been negated for that match. They were choosing to remember who had fought the hardest for this to happen.

Trying to ignore these looks, Draco was concentrating on what he had to do here today. First, get himself on the team. Then he had to catch the snitch against Potter, without the advantage of being mounted on the faster broom. That meant it was going to come down to a battle of skill between him and Potter, a battle Draco still thought he could win.

The shine of becoming the new Slytherin seeker became somewhat tarnished when Draco entered the great hall for lunch. The Gryffindors were still there in full quidditch gear, and those infernal cases were taking pride of place along their table. There were also Puffs and Claws over having a look at them too. It almost put Draco off his lunch, not thinking how things would be much worse tomorrow when those pictures and interviews hit.

-oOoOo-

The Daily Prophet landed on the Malfoy breakfast table with the impact of a bomb going off, Lucius certainly exploded.

"I spent all that gold and then that little shit Potter goes and gets Gryffindor new brooms for free! Not only that, he's quoted here as saying this happens all the time in the muggle world. Sportswear and equipment suppliers actually pay to have teams using their equipment. Potter is actually hoping that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw find sponsors too, so that no one can say Gryffindor only won because they had the better brooms - the boy's a bloody fool."

Cissi was reading the paper and the implications were hitting home. "You can just see Comet and Cleansweep racing toward Hogwarts, before anyone else beats them to it. All four teams will probably be on brand new brooms before the season gets underway..."

This year's Hogwarts quidditch season meant nothing to Lucius, he was sure it wouldn't be completed. Events he'd set In motion would see to that. No, it was Draco beating Harry Potter to the snitch he wanted the country to see. With Potter on his Nimbus two thousand, Draco was only ever going to have a slight advantage there. With the rest of the Gryffindor team having new brooms, the entire match might now hinge on whoever caught the snitch.

Lucius wanted this to be Potter's first taste of defeat at the hands of a Malfoy, before the head of that house destroyed the little shit. Watching helplessly as his beloved mudblood spiralled into darkness before eventually meeting her end would ruin people a lot stronger than Potter.

This was why a surprised Cissi didn't experience the full force of her husband's temper. While watching Potter lose in public was desirable, it was going to be merely the curtain raiser to the boy-who-lived's total destruction. No one crossed a Malfoy without retribution. He'd show the little shit the true cost of threatening Lucius Malfoy.

-oOoOo-

Harry had asked his quidditch captain for a favour - no practice on Hermione's birthday. Since Harry had just gotten the entire team new brooms, Oliver felt he owed his young seeker one. That didn't stop him calling evening practices twice during the week, flying until it got too dark to see any of the balls.

It was therefore a knackered Harry who sat down to dinner that Friday, it had been a long week. That exhaustion vanished the instant he spotted who had just entered the Great Hall, his Aunt Petunia and Dudley had just walked in with the expected Dan and Emma.

The couple were out their seats in a flash and greeting their visitors.

"Dud! What are you doing here?"

"It's Hermione's birthday tomorrow, I wasn't going to miss that. Dad wanted to wait until the quidditch match before coming. I think he's worried that mum can't cope with two of us gawking at everything - some school you got here."

After the hellos, the trio of professors headed for the staff table while Dudley was led to the Gryffindor table. Neville and Parvati of course already knew Dudley, Lavender didn't though seemed determined to rectify that oversight as quickly as possible.

While Dudley's exercise and diet program was beginning to make a real difference to his physique, that wasn't what had the blonde Gryffindor all excited. Since Parvati had spent a lot of the summer with Neville, she'd felt rather excluded. That hadn't improved any since they'd returned to Hogwarts.

Lavender didn't blame her best friend, Parvati was hanging about on Neville's arm, who was also Harry Potter and Hermione Granger's best friend. That was lofty company to be keeping. Now, here was this unattached boy - not bad looking either - who would come with instant access to the same company. To say Lavender was interested would be a massive understatement.

When the meal finished, Lavender suddenly realised there was major competition for Dudley's attentions. Padma, Susan and Hannah were all clearly interested in Dudley too. Their smiles when Dudley said he'd be staying in the guest accommodation was in direct contrast to her frown. Padma casually letting slip that she was looking forward to Hermione's party tomorrow night devastated Lavender, as did Susan and Hannah confirming they would be there too.

Harry directed his remarks to Dean and Seamus, though everyone knew they applied to Lavender as well. "Sorry guys. The party will be a small one, held in the guest quarters Hermione's parents use. With my aunt and Dudley here too, there simply isn't room to invite everyone.

-oOoOo-

Waking in her Harry's arms meant this was already Hermione's best birthday. Considering this was actually the twentieth she'd celebrate, and the last one was spent in the south of France, that was saying something. Even having to relive all those teenage years again couldn't put a dent in the delight she felt, knowing Harry would be with her for every one of those years - and many, many more.

Leaning over, she kissed her still sleeping intended.

"Mmm... And here was me thinking it was your birthday."

"It is - and I've got exactly what I always wanted. Funnily enough, I was twelve or thirteen when I first worked out just what that was."

"It took me only one night, I had to wait until I was eighteen though before that happened. It's weird that the same ministry who royally screwed me are now falling over themselves to keep us in Hogwarts."

"I know exactly what you mean about the weird part. My parents, your aunt and Dudley are spending the weekend in Hogwarts. That's just mind-blowing!"

"No, that's my brilliant intended's doing. When she puts her mind to something then nothing is impossible. It's your birthday but you're still giving me gifts. I really wanted to put another ring on your finger but think these bodies are still too young, and we would then need to wait more years than we would like to complete the set. Your seventeenth birthday seems like a good day to change your last name to Potter. What do you think?"

Sealing the deal with a kiss saw Hermione finally emerge from the daze Harry saying those words had spun her into, she clung tightly to him while giving her answer. "That would be the best birthday present ever!"

Dobby popped into the room with a wrapped box he handed to Harry. "Happy birthday, Dobby will give Hermione her present later. This time is for Harry, and our family is already up. Dudley is so excited he might be able to fly without needing a broom."

Their little elf friend then popped away to allow Harry the privacy to give Hermione his gift. She unwrapped the slim package that she was sure contained jewellery to discover an exquisite emerald pendant on a gold chain.

"Oh, its beautiful!" Harry put it around her neck and fastened the clasp.

"I better get out of here, before deciding to spend the entire day cuddling into you... Hey, what's wrong? Please tell me those are happy tears?"

"Yes, I'm very, very happy. Sometimes how much our lives have changed just sneaks up and catches me unawares - this one felt like getting mugged. When I became thirteen the first time you didn't know when my birthday was, it was only spotting a card getting delivered from my parents that gave the game away. You felt terrible at not getting me a present - though you did make me a card I still have, or had." She was lovingly fingering her new pendant as Harry kissed her tears away.

"This Harry knows when your birthday is. We'll celebrate three more of those birthdays together before the following one will see us officially joined together for life. While looking forward to that day, we can also enjoy the journey to that day. Today we can forget about the darkness, let's just enjoy spending your birthday with our family."

Hermione agreed with those sentiments so much, showing her approval had them late for breakfast.

-oOoOo-

Their were a few outbreaks of happy tears throughout the day. It was the ones forming in the corners of Petunia's eyes at Hermione's birthday party that evening which saw Emma having a quiet word.

Her friend's concern produced a genuine smile on Petunia's lips. "You told me a mother always does what's best for her family. I don't think it's a secret we both had different views of just what that was, and I was so wrong. What it all boils down to is our children's happiness, and our children are currently very happy. Dudley could hardly wait to come here, and the magic was only about half the reason for his enthusiasm. He really missed Harry and Hermione - and their friends. As he gets used to the magic I'm sure he'll still want to come here, Dudley won't want to lose contact with his friends - and family."

While still smiling, Petunia dabbed at her eyes with her hankie. "I sat behind Harry on his broom today and the feeling was indescribable, there simply isn't words..."

This had Emma chuckling. "When we were on holiday, I spent so much time sitting on Harry's broom that Hermione began joking I was making a move on her intended."

"Harry really does love her, you know..."

"Oh Dan and I are well aware of that. Since Christmas, I knew we would one day be family - that's why I invited you to afternoon tea."

Watching as her son happily danced with a witch of Indian descent, Petunia really only had one thing to say about this turn of events. "Thank you so much."

-oOoOo-

Draco knew he was a good flier, and all that practice over the summer his father had insisted upon only improved those skills. This was not merely idle boasting, since he had easily won his place as seeker on the Slytherin quidditch team. While all of that was true, Draco was also becoming aware of another truth. On a broom, Harry Potter was insane.

The rest of Gryffindor were riding Bolts but only their seeker flew like a madman. Draco's original intention was to shadow Potter, showing the entire stadium he was just as good a flier. That plan evaporated into the low lying clouds within the first few minutes of the game. More precisely the instant Potter, at full speed, performed a barrel roll right through the Slytherin chaser formation. He passed over one chaser and under another, breaking up their attack and even knocking the quaffle to Katie Bell.

While trying to work out what he was going to do next against Potter, Draco had to pull an evasive manoeuvre to dodge a bludger. He then had to do so again as the other bludger came bearing down on him. The Slytherin seeker then made a frightening discovery. It wasn't the other bludger but the same one, the same bludger that was rapidly bearing down on him for the third time. Shooting off in the direction of his nearest beater, a satisfied smirk at the sound of the bat striking the bludger was soon wiped away.

"That's not right..."

Sharing his teammate's views, Draco was forced to fly off again and perform more evasive manoeuvres as his own personal bludger was once more bearing down on him.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Dudley was sitting in the stand between Hermione and Neville, the rest of their friends were there too. The adults, including both Dudley's parents, were all sitting directly behind them. Neville was the one left to confirm this was not normal, since Hermione appeared to be attempting to chew through her fist.

She was the only person in the stadium who knew exactly what was happening, and only stuffing her knuckles into her mouth stopped her bursting into gales of loud laughter. Dobby would be getting hugged later. Since both the elf and her knew exactly what Draco grew up to be, Hermione had no trouble justifying Dobby's actions here today. She had no idea just what else Dobby had planned for today.

When the Slytherin captain was forced to call a timeout, he found no one disputing their claims that the bludger had been tampered with. Madam Hooch however was left to explain the rules, to both teams as well as a newly arrived and very concerned Head of Slytherin.

"While we all agree the bludger is acting irregularly, stopping the match to investigate that bludger hands Gryffindor the victory. Had Slytherin not been so adamantly opposed to changing any rules of Hogwarts quidditch, we might have been able to resolve this matter sensibly."

While understanding the rules, Septima wasn't about to settle for that outcome. Casting a sonorus on herself, she addressed the one person in the watching crowd who could help.

"Headmaster, we have a situation here where protecting one of my players will cost Slytherin the match. With a rogue bludger in the game however, exclusively targeting our seeker, I don't see how I can allow the game to continue."

Taking a moment to think, Albus stood to offer his interpretation of what his Head of Slytherin faced. "While I sympathise with your dilemma, calling a halt to the match in these circumstances automatically grants Gryffindor victory. A possible solution however might be to ask young Mister Malfoy's parents what they think of this matter, since both are sitting in the audience."

Lucius was sitting in the stand thinking the appearance of the rogue bludger would make a good excuse for Slytherin losing the match. He was already composing a rant along the lines of 'sabotaging the superior Slytherins' when an idea struck him. Dumbledore thought he was passing the responsibility of Slytherin losing the match onto Lucius but there was another side to that coin.

Continuing the match would allow Lucius to discover exactly what his son was made of, with any damage done to Draco being laid squarely at Hogwarts gates. There was also the spectacle this might provide for all the 'visitors' who were here to see where their children attended school. Witnessing these dangers might have some of these 'visitors' changing their minds over letting their children attend Hogwarts. Muggles inside Hogwarts and watching quidditch, not something Lucius Malfoy would ever agree with.

He stood and used his best aristocratic sneer while giving his answer. "After both teams being supplied with new brooms by benefactors, I suppose it was too much to hope Hogwarts could at least provide the rest of the equipment needed to play a game of quidditch. Perhaps all the school's resources are being poured into new courses? My son is a superb flier, on an excellent broom. I believe he can handle the situation, and Slytherin can still win the game..."

This drew cheering from the Slytherin stand, though even some of those wearing green and silver were left wondering what Lucius was up to.

Down on the pitch Draco's emotions swung from pride to terror. His father had just publicly announced Draco was a superb flier, and then sent him back up in the air to face this rogue bludger.

Oliver pulled his seeker aside for a quick word. "Harry, Malfoy is effectively out of the game, concentrate on finding the snitch. I don't want another match awarded to us, I want to beat them."

While he had loved riding on a broom, Dudley was delighted Harry hadn't pulled any of the moves he'd used during the match with him as a passenger. He also couldn't understand why that boy's father didn't stop the game when he had the chance. "I'm assuming that's the Malfoy boy who attacked you and Harry?"

"Yes, and we put him in the infirmary - twice. His father is so desperate to see Harry defeated, Draco is being forced to continue."

Hermione's answer left Dudley shaking his head. "I know nothing about quidditch, I don't need that knowledge to figure out Harry is easily the best flier up there. Even without that cannonball thing chasing after the Malfoy guy, he would never get near Harry."

Sirius and Amelia were part of the large group of Harry's family and friends watching the match and both agreed with Dudley's opinion, they also knew Lucius was up to something. The couple were at Hogwarts not only to watch the match but also for the meeting with Dumbledore on how the group would proceed with the horcrux hunt. Neither knew the impact today's events would have on that meeting.

Cissi was left confused and very frightened. As soon as the quidditch match restarted, the rogue bludger resumed its relentless pursuit of Draco. It was easy to see all her son's skill and concentration would be needed just to avoid the bludger, he was effectively out of the game as a seeker. Lucius must have known that's what would happen, which really frightened her. These actions just emphasised that both she and Draco were nothing more than pawns in whatever game Lucius was playing. The terrifying thing was that pawns were usually the pieces sacrificed to further the player's aims. She could do no more than hope that wasn't what she was watching here. While her expression remained stoic, Cissi's manicured fingernails were digging into the palms of her hands as the bludger pushed Draco's skills to the limit.

Harry had once called quidditch a bipolar mess, yet this particular game was even worse. While the chasers and keepers continued playing their match - a match Gryffindor was winning - the two seekers had different aims. He was trying to spot the snitch while Malfoy was just trying to stay alive. One glance at Hermione told Harry she not only knew what was happening but approved. Since Draco couldn't evade the bludger forever, he was following his captain's orders. Dumbledore would take action before Draco got seriously hurt, and Gryffindor wanted the win.

The merest glint of gold, spotted from the corner of his eye, had Harry rocketing after the snitch. After a chase that had the entire stadium on their feet, his fingers finally closed around the elusive golden ball.

Funnily enough, the announcer screaming 'Potter has the snitch' was a cause for celebration amongst a pair of Malfoys - though neither Draco or his mother's stoic expressions betrayed their thoughts.

Draco though had just made a dangerous assumption - that the bludger would stop its pursuit when the game finished. It didn't, and caught him unawares. As he'd slowed down and flew lower, the bludger struck with enough force to break Draco's leg - and also damage his broom. He crashed painfully into the ground, thankfully from a height that was reduced to about ten feet.

Lying on his back, Draco then realised his troubles weren't over. The bludger was coming back for more, and seemed to be aiming for his groin. Watching helplessly as this rogue appeared ready to end any future Malfoys, at least from him, Draco thought his whole life flashed before him. His relief discovering it was an actual curse, fired by Dumbledore from the stands, that flashed past was more than matched by that same curse destroying the bludger.

Any sane person would now be thinking their ordeal was over but today Draco just couldn't catch a break - other than the obvious one. Leading the people running toward him was Lockhart.

It was talking all Cissi's resolve to walk calmly beside her husband as they leisurely made their way onto the pitch. To hurry would mean they weren't in control, and that would never do. That resolve shattered as she heard her son shouting.

"You bloody fool! You haven't mended my bones, you vanished them."

Now pushing people out of her way as she raced to her son's side, Cissi found that fop Lockhart standing over her son. His wand was in his hand but the only thing coming out of his mouth were excuses. Cissi was in no mood to listen to any excuses. With a cry of 'Lockhart, defend yourself', very accurately aimed curses were soon spewing from her wand.

Against an angry Cissi, Gilderoy's wandwork was about as effective as his excuses, he didn't last thirty seconds before joining Draco lying on the grass. While only two of Lockhart's limbs now appeared to be human, they had also taken positions that would be impossible if those limbs still contained the bones they were supposed to. The now unconscious and defeated defence professor was then ignored while Cissi knelt by her son.

Lucius' temper climbed a little higher every time he had to nudge someone out of his path. Didn't these people know who he was? They should be standing aside to let him pass. This was why he reached his wife and son at the same moment as Dumbledore, Lucius' temper not improved by the gathered crowd parting to let the headmaster through.

"I take it this matter will be investigated?"

An unflustered Albus had his answer ready. "Of course, Lucius. Unfortunately, I was forced to destroy the only piece of evidence there was. Had you not allowed the game to continue, I'm sure the culprit would have been discovered and dealt with most severely. Without any evidence though..."

While Lucius was looking around for someone to vent his anger on, he found that search being interrupted.

"Excuse me, Mister Malfoy, I believe this belongs to you."

The sneer on Lucius' face disintegrated as his eyes fell on what was being handed to him, and who was doing the handing. Harry Potter was standing there with his master's diary - the very thing that was supposed to be wreaking vengeance on Potter's mudblood.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." His trembling voice betrayed Malfoy's denial, and then things worsened for the blond former Slytherin.

Harry was relentless, pressing Malfoy further. "I believe you do. You slipped this into my intended's pocket while we were in Diagon Alley. We also know what this is, or rather was. It's been dealt with, and now it's your turn..."

With Dumbledore and Bones standing watching this, and knowing the Minister and ministry would fall over themselves racing to do the boy-who-lived's bidding, Lucius panicked. He grabbed the offered diary from Harry and handed it to the tiny creature standing behind him. "Elf, destroy this at once."

A confident Lucius then returned his attention to Harry. "Now, without any evidence..."

The high pitched voice that interrupted Lucius was such a shock that everything seemed to stop for a moment.

"Darla will not. Master has given Darla clothes, Darla is free!"

"I did no such thing..." Turning around, Lucius found the little elf standing with the diary open, a diary that had a sock concealed within its pages. Darla then popped away, taking the diary and sock with her - leaving her former master standing there looking a fool. As the red mist of anger descended, Lucius made to draw his wand on Harry.

"You cost me my servant, boy. You'll pay for that..."

Dumbledore may not have raised his voice but the power in his words was there for all to hear. "Drawing your wand on a Hogwarts student would be an extremely poor decision, and one I would simply have to prevent."

Those words may have frozen Lucius' muscles but they appeared to kick start his brain. "Anyone can make allegations but proving them is a whole different matter. Where are your witnesses that supposedly saw me do this?"

A voice well known to Lucius had his blood turning to ice, or rather what that voice said.

"I saw him slip that book into the pocket of Lord Potter's intended..."


	23. A Foolish Old Man

**You're My Density**

A/N our show was enjoyed by everyone, be they on stage or sitting in the audience - laughing, clapping and singing along. I was, to be honest, bloody knackered! (Lost 7 pound in a week but not a weight loss program I would recommend. No, the chapter title does not refer to me!) Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out and thanks for waiting. I hope everyone enjoys this season of goodwill, the world could certainly use some at the moment.

**Chapter 23 - A Foolish Old Man**

Kneeling beside her injured son, Cissi watched intently as Madam Pomfrey cast diagnostic charms on Draco. She was studying the Hogwarts healer's features and body language for any sign of bad news when Cissi then heard the absolute worst prognosis possible. That this terminal diagnosis didn't originate from Madam Pomfrey was immaterial, both she and Draco were as good as dead. That stupid pig she called a husband had just done the unthinkable - he had attempted to harm Potter's mudblood.

A lot of things began to fall into place for Cissi, including why Draco was almost murdered by a bludger today. Potter had specifically warned them against this course of action, and Lucius had chosen to ignore that warning - and been caught doing so. Not only that, the stupid bastard had gone after the one person guaranteed to ensure Potter carried out the full extent of his dire threat. The cold hand of fear gripped Cissi's heart, squeezing so tight it almost stopped beating. That Potter could get Draco murdered in full view of all of Hogwarts, with no blame attaching to the Gryffindor, took Cissi right back to the night she saw her son's severed head lying in her bed.

Vowing that would never happen, she stood tall and proud.

"I saw him slip that book into the pocket of Lord Potter's intended..."

This stopped all conversation so Cissi continued. "I'm prepared to swear an oath on what I saw, and also that I had no idea what the book was. If it was something intending to harm Miss Granger, I played no part nor had any knowledge of that."

"You traitorous bitch. I'll cast you and your whelp out of my family."

In any battle between his parents, Draco knew which side he would come down on. That his father had forced him to play on against that rogue bludger, and then threatened to disown him left Draco with nothing to lose.

"He slipped a book into Granger's pocket while Potter was fighting with Weasley inside Flourish and Blots. I saw him too."

With the quality and quantity of the people surrounding him, Lucius understood he couldn't start firing off curses, as much as he'd like to. Slowly and carefully placing his hand on his wand, at least thankful he didn't need draw it to disinherit these two. Then Bones cut in, preempting his actions.

"Lucius Malfoy, what I've heard here today is more than enough evidence to arrest you. I also know what that book is, or was, and witnessed its evil taint being removed." Amelia hadn't actually witnessed that happening to the book, seeing the locket horcrux blasting Dumbledore across the room was more than enough for her though.

"You will have a fair trial, one where truth serum will be used. Only you know what that serum will reveal. These revaluations are something you might want to consider before casting the sole Malfoy heir out of the family. Somehow, I don't think you'll be begetting another heir - not from inside an Azkaban cell."

Doing that careful considering didn't improve Lucius' temper any. He did manage to moderate his revenge however. He cast Cissi out of the family, firstly claiming Draco as his son, before having his wand taken and cuffs placed on his wrists. While this would pay Draco's education fees, and include a small stipend, it would be nowhere near enough to provide for his now nameless and penniless mother. It would be almost five years before Draco could get his hands on the Malfoy money, a lot could happen in that time.

Draco was about to angrily tell his father to shove it somewhere the sun didn't shine but a glare from his mother prevented that. They watched on as Madam Bones and her fiancé, Lord Black, led Lucius away.

Though he knew nothing of Harry's warning to the Malfoys, Albus was well aware they blamed Lucius for the attack on the Grangers' home - and also slipping the diary horcrux to Hermione. Albus was delighted Lucius had just been arrested, and also confident Amelia could make it stick. Young Draco's life being put on the line to achieve this was not something he could however condone. Albus was placing an incredible amount of faith in this young couple and the very thought of them being involved in this fiasco worried him greatly. Since most of Hogwarts would rapidly reach the same conclusion, he decided to get the matter out in the open.

"Harry, do you have any idea why that bludger targeted Mister Malfoy?"

"No Sir. Like Mrs Malfoy, I would be prepared to give my oath on the matter - specifically that I wasn't involved in any way. It's not so long ago I was lying there injured, I would never be part of something causing that to a fellow player. Ollie had me concentrating on catching the snitch, knowing you or Professor Vector would stop the game if it looked like the Slytherin seeker was in real danger. We wanted to win, but I honestly don't think we needed a rogue bludger to achieve that result."

Albus had spent his entire life learning to read people, he was as sure as he could be that Harry was telling the truth here. The relief Harry's words brought to Draco's mother was also unmistakable, and gave the headmaster an idea.

"Ma'am, since my defence professor just performed a spell on a student he was neither qualified nor proficient in, I will be sacking Gilderoy Lockhart - when he recovers. I now find myself without a defence professor, and wondered if you might be interested in applying for the job? We can take the ease of your defeating the position's former holder as proof of your abilities in this subject. As a full time post though, I feel I must warn you that residing within Hogwarts is a requirement of the position."

Cissi's emotions had matched her son's manoeuvres on his broom as he'd tried to stay one step ahead of that bludger - they'd been up, down and all over the place. Hearing Potter say he didn't set that bludger on Draco lifted her spirits from the pit of despair they'd plummeted into. Like Dumbledore, she believed the boy.

Turning on Lucius was always going to see her expelled from the Malfoy family, thankfully Draco was spared that fate. She was going to have enough trouble trying to support herself without having to put her son through Hogwarts too. Now Dumbledore had just thrown her an unbelievable lifeline - paid work, free lodgings, and she would get to see Draco every day.

"Thank you, Headmaster. I won't play any games in this matter, we both know I now desperately need this job. Since I am no longer a Malfoy, nor a Black, I'll revert to my mother's maiden name. If you don't mind, I would like to be known as Professor Rosier?"

Since this appointment would be mutually beneficial on so many levels, Albus wasn't too bothered what his new defence professor called herself. Harry however had more to say on the quidditch situation.

"Sir, could you and the four heads of house review the quidditch rules? Leaving that job to the captains saw no changes being made. Without those rules preventing action, Madam Hooch would have instantly taken that rogue bludger out of the game. I think I can speak for all four teams in saying we trust her to be impartial, and also look out for our safety. There are all these rules from professional quidditch preventing her doing that very thing in a school game."

"You make some very good points, Mister Potter, points I can't find argument with. I will also include Madam Hooch in that meeting, with the results posted in time for the next match."

Nodding in thanks, Harry turned to find Hermione and their friends waiting on him. Handing a flabbergasted Dudley the snitch he'd caught, the group then filed off the pitch. He waved up to their family still in the stands, Emma, Dan and Petuinia were left trying to explain what had happened here today to visiting parents who were getting their first look at Hogwarts.

That those on the pitch and all the spectators still in the stands erupted in cheering as Draco was being floated off the park would help with that explanation, as would stating truthfully that he would be fit for classes on Monday. Harry was certain none of the trio of muggle professors would be explaining that the cheering wasn't sportsmanship for the injured player, rather a spontaneous and universal show of appreciation for his mother. Not only did the former Mrs Malfoy destroy the despised Gilderoy Lockhart, she managed to get him booted out of Hogwarts too. Now that certainly deserved a round of applause.

-oOoOo-

The atmosphere inside Hogwarts was usually heightened after a quidditch match, one of the reasons the muggle parents had been invited to attend this weekend. That Hogwarts now had a new defence professor took that heightened atmosphere straight into the party bracket - with even the losing Slytherin house celebrating Lockhart's leaving. The speed and skill that Draco's mother had shown in taking Lockhart apart gave the student's hope that this time they might actually have a professor who could teach them how to defend themselves.

Since Amelia and Sirius dragged Lucius off to a ministry cell, the meeting with Dumbledore to discuss the horcrux hunt was postponed until the following weekend, Halloween.

With Dudley and Petunia in the castle, it took until bedtime before Harry and Hermione got a chance to talk privately with their elf friend.

Dobby popped into Hermione's bedroom as soon as the couple were alone, a smiling Hermione greeted him.

"I almost choked trying to hold my laughter back today. A little prior warning might have helped…"

"Dobby is sorry but Darla being at Hogwarts was unexpected, Dobby had to act. Dobby also knew Harry remembered how he fooled Malfoy before…"

Harry was also grinning at their friend. "When you shoved that diary in my hand I didn't know what was happening, until I spotted the female elf behind Malfoy. I thought Dumbledore had the diary hidden somewhere safe?"

"Headmaster did, and Dobby has already returned it to the safe place…"

Cutting right to the heart of the matter, Hermione asked the all-important question. "How's Darla?"

"Darla is glad to be away from Malfoys, but worried she now doesn't have a family…"

"Of course she has a family. You're her family now, and you're certainly part of our family. Call Darla…" Harry didn't get to say anymore before the little female elf appeared, standing right beside Dobby. Both he and Hermione noticed the elves automatically reach for each other's hand. Harry knelt to be on the same level as the pair of house elves, trying to reassure a worried looking female elf.

"Darla, my Hermione considers Dobby as her brother, and he's certainly one of my very best friends. Dobby is family to us, and our family would be delighted if you wished to join it too. I understand today has been traumatic for you so take all the time you need to make your mind up about this, the offer will always be there for you."

The shocked look on the female elf's face was only match by the ear to ear grin Dobby was sporting.

"Darla has heard from Dobby about his wonderful family, and now Darla sees it for herself. Dara's mind is already made up, Darla wants to be a Potter - like Dobby."

Hermione was now knelling beside Harry and Hugged both elves, getting a squeal from Darla. "You'll need to get used to that, Darla. My Hermione likes her hugs. Dobby, was Draco in any danger today?"

Hermione sprang to the elf's defence. "Dobby would never kill the little shit, unless he was about to murder one of us. Draco getting banged about and scared witless worked for me."

"Dobby would not kill old master's son. If that son was injured, and could not produce any more Malfoys, Dobby could live with that."

Thinking to what a future Draco had attempted to do to Hermione, and what he had done to girls they now considered friends, Harry could have lived with that result too. "You freed Darla, got Lucius Malfoy arrested and Lockhart kicked out of the castle - that's a stellar day right there, Dobby."

The hero worship coming from Darla in Dobby's direction was so reminiscent of the way Dobby used to treat Harry that Hermione just had to giggle. A blushing Dobby was struggling to cope with the praise from Harry, and the adulation of the female elf who still held his hand.

"Dobby was just trying to free his friend, nothing more."

"Sometimes life throws you a break, Dobby. We'll gladly accept this one. Darla, has Dobby told you why you'll now both need to stay hidden?" The nods confirming that fact, Hermione continued. "Good, you'll be able to meet my parents later..."

Darla then brought up something she was clearly struggling with. "Dobby says we will eat dinner with your parents on Monday?" While she certainly didn't want to cast any doubt on something Dobby had said, this was just too strange for Darla to even contemplate being real.

"When my mum and dad are at home, Dobby pops in every night to have dinner with them - and keep us all up to date on what's happening. You're part of our family now. Not a servant, and certainly not a slave. I have known Dobby for more years than you may think. He's looked after me more like a brother than a servant, and that is how I think of him. I hope one day we can be as close too..."

After the day she just had, these unbelievable words of kindness saw Darla in tears. A hug from Dobby was soon being returned. "Darla had heard the stories from Dobby, but Darla did not know what to believe. Darla is sorry, Dobby."

"When Dobby worked for the Malfoys, Dobby would not have believed such stories either. Dobby understands, Darla should not be sorry - or sad."

"Darla is not sad, this is the happiest day of Darla's life."

The two students were almost forgotten by the elves, until Harry interrupted. "We want all your days from now on to be happy, Darla. Welcome to the family."

A four way hug preceded the elves' departures, allowing Harry and Hermione to climb into bed. Harry had a final question though, before sleep claimed them.

"What does the happenings of today do to your future knowledge?"

After thinking about that for a few minutes, Hermione gave the only answer she could. "Apart from tomorrow being Sunday, I haven't a bloody clue what happens next." Harry snuggling in deeper at that answer was not the response Hermione expected.

"Why do I get the feeling you liked that news?"

It was Harry's turn to carefully consider his answer. "Like is probably the wrong term to use. I certainly can see how not knowing what will happen next loses us our advantage. We'd made so many changes though, that was always going to happen. With all the training and lessons you've been giving me, and your lack of future knowledge, I feel like we're on a more even footing now. Does that sound silly?"

With a chortle of laughter, she kissed her intended. "I don't know about silly, but I certainly recognise it as something my Harry would say. Goodnight love, and never change."

Snuggling in for the night, Hermione heard him mutter 'it would seem I can't' before both felt the stresses of the day fade away as sleep paid a welcome visit.

-oOoOo-

Changes were also foremost on Cissi's mind as she sat down to lunch, for the first time as a professor, in the great hall that Sunday. She'd eaten her meals with Draco in the infirmary but Madam Pomphery had now released her son. She knew Draco would play up his injury, using it as an excuse for Slytherin losing the match. That at least hadn't changed.

Finding yourself at the staff table, and sitting beside a muggle was certainly new.

"Delighted to see your son back on his feet. My nephew was injured playing quidditch last term, I'm glad I wasn't here to see it. The magical form of medical treatment amazes me though. An injury like that would have taken months to recover from in our world."

Petunia had hit on the one thing she and Hogwarts' newest professor had in common, they both doted on their sons. While thanking this woman for her concern over Draco, Cissi just had to ask the obvious question. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching the young students how great the muggle world is? Complimenting something magical flies in the face of that."

Petunia just smiled at those words. "A rather popular misconception. We see our task as passing on knowledge of our world, both good and bad, so our students can make their own minds up about things."

"I have to say, some of the things Draco has told me about those lessons seems quite far-fetched…"

This time Petunia actually chuckled. "That's a polite way of saying he didn't believe a word of it. It's also the reaction we expected. To be honest, without witnessing magic, I wouldn't believe it existed either - even though it clearly does. That is why it's so important that we can take the students outside of Hogwarts on an educational visit, so they can see some of the things we talk about for themselves. Only then will they have a chance of making their own minds up."

"I'm surprised Dumbledore was able to get that past the school board. They normally keep a tight grip of the purse strings."

"Professor Dumbledore insisted we got paid a salary, though none of us wanted it. Just being able to visit the world my sister belonged to is more than enough for me. That the two men in my life are here too leaves me thinking I should be the one paying Hogwarts."

Petunia couldn't help but smile in Dudley and Vernon's direction as she said that. Both were sitting having lunch at the Gryffindor table, with non magical parents sprinkled throughout the great hall. Like the Dursleys, they would all be leaving for home after lunch.

"Emma, Dan, Augusta and I all pool those salaries, this is what's going to pay for any trips into the non magical world. We hope to organise something before Christmas."

Looking around what would effectively be her new home, Cissi was left shaking her head. "I don't envy your task. I'm seeing this but still not sure if I believe it. That nephew of yours seems to have kicked off a revolution in magical Britain. Revolutions though always throw up casualties, my former husband being one."

"I thought you were very brave yesterday. That couldn't have been easy..."

"Actually, it was. I don't know if you're aware of this but your nephew is a very powerful wizard, magically and politically. Lucius had already crossed Harry, and was warned not to do so again. To then attempt to harm his intended could have destroyed all three of us. I will do anything to protect my son, including turning on his father."

"I knew Lucius Malfoy was involved in the attack on the Grangers' home, they actually had photographic proof. Since what Harry did to the last wizard who tried to harm Hermione was front page news for days, I can't help but see your point. I find it hard to believe my nephew could be so ruthless. Then again, if Hermione was in danger, he would take on the entire country to protect her."

That news was not exactly new, but it still sent a shiver of dread down Cissi's spine. She tried her best to cover it up. "If our world is changing, I want my son to be prepared for those changes. An open mind will serve him much better than an open mouth - especially if he's parroting his father's words. Your nephew is the catalyst for those changes, with Hogwarts being the epicentre. Working here is going to provide me with a front row seat, and help me steer my son in the direction he needs to go. The more I think about it, the more I know I'm going to enjoy working here."

"Working in Hogwarts was a shock for me too, I have to say though it's something I'm really enjoying. I usually just portkey here on a Monday morning, leaving Hogwarts after lunch. I've also enjoyed our talk, and if there's anything I can help you with - you only have to ask."

Albus had been using Hermione and, to a lesser extent, Harry as barometers to gauge how well things were going. Today he didn't need to look anywhere near the young couple. He was sitting close enough to Cissi and Petunia that Albus had overheard every word. He agreed with Cissi about Harry and Hogwarts, which was why he didn't have to seek out the young couple to discover how well things were going. Hogwarts itself was telling Albus, telling everyone, they were on a better path.

The positive energy being generated in the great hall felt strong enough to repel a dementor. Happy students, happy parents and happy staff, the holy trinity for a headmaster - and Albus was one happy headmaster. He was beginning to think they just might pull this off. Put a stop to Voldemort returning and, almost more importantly, turn their world away from the self destructive route it had been heading down before the time travellers came to Hogwarts.

If someone as aged, knowledgeable and experienced as Albus could get caught up in all the positive vibes, then it was hardly surprising the rest of the country could too? This just ensured that when tragedy struck, it would resonate with everyone all the more.

-oOoOo-

While Harry was sad to see the Dursleys leave, he wasn't sorry to see the back of the Creeveys. Turns out Colin had a younger brother, Dennis, who had visited along with his parents. Colin had obviously been sending pictures home with his letters because Dennis recognised Harry immediately, and his parents didn't read the Prophet. The thought of another Creevey stalker had Harry cringing, and Hermione giggling.

She had some good and bad news for her intended. Harry decided to get the bad news over with first and actually groaned as Hermione whispered in his ear that Dennis would be in Gryffindor too. A kiss preceded the good news - it would be nearly two years before that would happen.

Ron had been sure him getting resorted into Hufflepuff and repeating first year would be forgotten about by the time the first quidditch match was played. Turned out he was way off with that estimate. Ron Weasley had been forgotten about by the first morning, when Potter fought Lockhart. Being in Hufflepuff wasn't so bad, there was certainly no pressure on him to shine. Even after having already completed first year, Ron wasn't top of the year - or even close to being top. He wasn't bottom though, and Hufflepuffs appeared happy just to place somewhere in the middle of their year group. This was something he thought achievable. It may be he would be in the bottom half of the middle group, but near the top of the bottom group. In some weird way that probably only made sense in Ron's head, he thought that would be great.

The idea of working harder to get himself up that list never entered his head. That might be because there wasn't any room left in his head for all the schemes he kept thinking up to get back at Potter. Ron however at least still had the sense to know his schemes needed to stay exactly where they were, in his head.

He had laughed his head off yesterday while that bludger chased Malfoy all over the sky. Ron simply didn't believe neither Potter nor Granger were involved in a prank his brothers would have been proud of, a prank pulled off right under Dumbledore's nose too.

Until he could come up with a foolproof plan to get back at Potter, Ron would be keeping his head down. As a Hufflepuff firstie, he blended into the background in Hogwarts. That's exactly where he intended to stay, unnoticed. Sometimes in chess you let your opponent underestimate you, before moving in to win the game. Ron's time would come, he was sure of it. There was no ticking clock this year, he could afford to take his time.

Luna wasn't sure of her facts, which is why she was in the Grangers' accommodation with Harry, Hermione and both professors. She'd sent a letter home to her father about the muggle course being taught at Hogwarts, and her father had wondered if there could be an article for the Quibbler in this. What Luna was learning in this class though was very difficult to put into words, especially since she didn't understand some of the things being taught.

Emma was explaining to the first year this got right to the crux of the problems they were having while teaching the course before Hermione had an idea. Knowing her parents were already fond of Luna saw her making the offer.

"You really have to experience it for yourself, before you'll be able to write about it. So, how would you like to spend some of the Christmas holidays with us?"

The little blonde's entire face lit up with delight at that offer. "I was going to be spending Christmas in the castle…"

That was all Emma had to hear. "It's settled then, you can spend the Christmas holidays with us. You'll be sharing a room with Hermione so I don't see Petunia having a problem with that arrangement either. You need to write home and get your father's permission first, and then we're good to go."

Looking around the room and seeing four people smiling back at her had Luna on cloud nine. "I'll write to daddy in the morning but I already know he'll say yes. In these changing times, an article on 'a muggle Christmas' should get a lot of interest. Thank you so much for inviting me."

This drew a chuckle from Hermione. "You're very welcome, Luna, though you may need a bodyguard in Gryffindor when Colin and Ginny hear where you're spending Christmas.'

"I don't think they'll be too bothered by the where, it's more the who I'll be spending it with that will upset them. I could say I wouldn't tell them but I'm far too excited to keep this to myself."

Harry couldn't help but tease her a little more. "Wait until they find out that you'll be at the Longbottom Ball and Lord Black's wedding too…" Seeing Luna almost hyperventilating resulted in Harry putting his arm around her shoulders. "What's the matter, Luna?"

"I really want to spend Christmas with you both but I couldn't impose…"

"…and that is why Luna Lovegood is being invited. Apart from the fact you're our friend, a friend we like spending time with, you would never impose on that friendship. We'll have a great time…"

Luna couldn't help herself. she hugged Harry, then Hermione before repeatedly thanking Emma and Dan for inviting her. She practically floated back to the Gryffindor common room. Walking in alongside Harry and Hermione would always get you noticed, the large grin Luna wore though was more than enough to catch the attention of fellow Gryffindors.

Harry knew Hermione had promised Luna wouldn't be a friendless waif this time around, he fully supported his intended in those intentions. They would certainly be spending time with their friends over the Christmas holidays, adding Luna to that group was no hardship. They could also ensure her article was factually correct, and something like that getting published could only help with what they were trying to achieve.

-oOoOo-

Cissi was in her classroom early, trying to prepare herself for the ordeal of facing her students more than her lesson. She wasn't really prepared for the pair of students who entered her class well before that lesson was due to start.

"Good morning, Professor Rosier, and good luck with your first class."

Cissi could only nod as Hermione then took over from her intended to explain the reason behind the couple's unscheduled visit. "Harry and I have enjoyed our self-study defence classes, and have the Headmaster's permission to continue doing so. We wanted to tell you that ourselves, and say this is no slight on your abilities as a professor. All our friends who were studying with us will now be taking your class, allowing Harry and I to push further ahead with our own studies. I also want to reiterate what Harry said on Saturday. Neither of us were involved with what happened to Draco, and we would be prepared to give you an oath to prove that."

"Miss Granger, Lord Potter, I thank you for the offer but those oaths won't be necessary. I shall also be working on my son to stop him pulling his wand on people, especially you two."

"Thank you, Professor. Draco has now attempted to attack us twice. As I previously told your former husband, a third attack would see us retaliate - rather than just shielding."

Rather irked at that last comment from Potter, Cissi kept her cool while trying to garner more information on these two. "If the Headmaster has given you permission to continue your self-study for defence, there's nothing I can do about that. I have to say I'm rather surprised, I really believe everyone benefits from having someone more experienced teaching them. Unless you are both so advanced you don't need me? Just what level are you at?"

Harry's wand slipped into his hand and Prongs was soon galloping around the classroom, searching for enemies. Hermione's otter quickly joined the stag, leaving Cissi flabbergasted.

"That's impossible! Twelve year olds can't cast a patronus - that's N.E.W.T. level magic."

As the animals faded away, so did Harry and Hermione. Just before they left the classroom, a smiling Harry corrected the professor. "Hermione is actually thirteen."

"Oh, that explains it then..." Cissi was whispering that comment to herself as the couple left her classroom. These two may be considered adults because of their awards but, by their casual use of such an advanced charm, it would appear their magic was able to back that age up. She knew Draco wasn't anywhere near that level and would certainly be ensuring her son didn't deliberately antagonise them again.

She believed both of them when they said they weren't involved in the bludger attack on Draco, but to then take down Lucius in such a devastating fashion showed their true abilities. Whether that was planned or just them taking advantage of a presented opportunity didn't really matter, that they engineered his arrest was a feat no one else had been able to manage. Cissi also had no doubts that her former husband would be spending his immediate future in Azkaban, leaving her time to hopefully guide Draco down a path that would ensure her son had a bright future. Teaching in Hogwarts could only help her discover just what direction this elusive path was leading.

-oOoOo-

Gilderoy's path was leading him out of Hogwarts. Once the healer had released him, he discovered his trunks were already packed and waiting on his departure. Dumbledore had made him aware that, should he wish to contest this decision, a meeting of the school board could be convened to hear his case. Since McGonagall and Longbottom were on that board, and Dumbledore had a massive influence on the other members, Gilderoy Lockhart's days as a professor inside Hogwarts were now over.

Although admittedly gifted in the use of memory charms, Gilderoy was not able to cast a countrywide obliviate. That's what would be required to stop people remembering his defeat at the talons of Potter's owl - and all the press coverage that event generated. He knew time alone would see that event move to the back of people's memories, allowing him to once more proudly walk down Diagon Alley and gain the adulation he deserved.

Gilderoy needed more time in Hogwarts, time for people to forget - and for him to turn things around. Healing the young Malfoy boy's leg would have been a large leap up the ladder of exoneration, if his spell had worked as intended. Instead he was once more heavily defeated in public, and then suffered the ignominy of being sacked. With the witch who defeated him then taking his job, Gilderoy knew there was nothing left for him in Britain.

He would once more have to go on his travels, listening out for stories that could be his next book. He was sure that, by the time Gilderoy Lockhart's new book hit the shelves, the British wizarding public would be back adoring him again. That he didn't have to repay all those books he'd sold to the students put a smile on his face. Gilderoy had made a career out of being able to see the positive in any situation, and by his use of the memory charm.

-oOoOo-

Lucius' charm and gold was useless against the truth serum. He was lucky to escape a dementor's kiss, though a sentence of spending the rest of his life in Azkaban could hardly be called lucky. That bitch Bones had carved him up like a Christmas turkey. No public trial, no questions that could incriminate Fudge asked.

The judging panel had obviously been briefed on whatever that diary was, his admission of what he hoped the diary would achieve being more than enough to see him convicted. Being unable to deny that he became a death eater of his own free will was nothing more than the final nail in his coffin.

He was still trying to figure out where everything had gone wrong but there was no hurry, Lucius Malfoy would have the rest of his life to work on that problem - he wouldn't be doing anything else inside his Azkaban cell.

-oOoOo-

Hermione was awoken by a kiss from Harry, the scent of roses sweetening the air. She soon discovered that scent came from a large bouquet of red roses that had been placed at the side of her bed, then Harry totally surprised her with the reason behind those beautiful roses being there.

"Happy anniversary love..."

"Anniversary?"

"A year ago today I woke up with you in my arms for the very first time, and I knew even then that I never wanted to wake up with anyone else. That may have been a December morning when we woke, but we went to bed on Halloween that night. So, happy anniversary."

This saw Hermione kissing her intended. "My old Harry hated Halloween, nothing good ever happened to him on that date. First year was the troll, second there was a basilisk lose in the castle. Third year a mad escaped prisoner tried to break into Gryffindor and fourth saw you entered into a tournament that almost got you killed."

Smiling at her, Harry logically dismantled that argument. "We've already ensured that this Halloween and next will be different. I think it should be safe to celebrate today as an anniversary, rather than remembering all the bad things that happened in the past."

Hermione knew exactly what part of the past Harry was referring to, she'd deliberately not mentioned his parents amongst the reasons why he hated Halloween. "Happy Anniversary, Harry - though you caught me out. I'm just going to have to find some way to make it up to you later."

The twinkle in Harry's eyes at that comment told Hermione she'd judged it perfectly. Anything that could shift Harry's memories of Halloween toward a positive slant was always going to get her vote. As they got ready to face the day, fate must have been having a little chuckle at their naivety.

The hammer dropped at lunchtime when a clearly upset McGonagall approached them. "The headmaster is in the infirmary, and asking to see both of you."

Since it was a Saturday, Dan and Emma were in the castle too. Signalling to the staff table for them to follow, Harry and Hermione left with McGonagall.

Entering the infirmary, it was immediately apparent that things were very serious. Albus was lying on a bed and the only colour his skin contained was the blackness of his now withered hand and arm. The effort it took for him to speak further highlighted that this was not good.

"Hermione my dear, you were of course correct. Those things should never be tackled alone. Alas, I'm a foolish old man who thought he knew better. I'm going to have to pay a price for that foolishness, I just hope I haven't doomed us all..."


	24. Three Turns

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 24 - Three Turns**

For it to be one of the most important nights on the Hogwarts calendar, the atmosphere at the Halloween feast was, excuse the pun, grave. The rumour mill had of course been working overtime on the condition of the headmaster. The Minister of Magic being spotted leaving the school infirmary wearing a rather worried expression adding more grist to the mill.

Things were getting so bad, McGonagall was forced to make a short statement before the feast started.

"Headmaster Dumbledore had an accident today and is currently in the Hogwarts infirmary. While his condition is very serious, he asked that tonight's feast still go ahead. Halloween is one of his favourite feasts and he didn't want to see anyone disappointed."

It was McGonagall's demeanour though, more than her words, that told the students just how bad this could be. The usually stoic Scottish witch was clearly struggling to hold back her tears.

-oOoOo-

In the infirmary, Hermione had lost that battle. Watching Dumbledore basically saying goodbye to people had fat, salty tears escaping down her cheeks. Harry and her, like the rest of magical Britain, had come to rely more and more on the ageing headmaster. To see him stricken down like this was a real blow.

Albus was now talking to his favourite healer. "Poppy, had Severus still been here, his knowledge of potions and the dark arts might have been able to buy me some time. We're talking at most a few months though, my fate was sealed the instant that curse took hold. Resting now may see me live a few moments longer, I'd rather spent the little time I have left talking to the people I need to. Thank you for your concern and I know you'll give Minerva the same support you always gave me..."

Poppy Pomfrey hugging a patient may have been a strange sight, those watching though understood perfectly what was happening here. The Hogwarts healer was saying goodbye to a dear old friend.

They'd hung about in the infirmary for hours because Albus clearly wanted to talk with them, though kept getting interrupted by visitors. The four had now become six, since being joined by Sirius and Amelia. With his good hand, Albus waved them over. "Miss Granger, would you do what's necessary? We can't risk being disturbed again, or overheard."

Amelia's eyebrows may have raised at Albus' request to the young witch, Hermione erecting silencing and notice-me-not charms - without uttering an incantation - saw her monocle drop from her eye. The amount of trust Albus had in these two children was hard to believe or understand. It would also seem to be more than justified.

"I have been saying goodbye to many people today, yet this one is by far and a way the hardest. Hermione, will your oath permit me to know if I've done better...?"

Hermione's tears were really flowing now as she took his good hand in both of hers. She nodded her head while attempting to smile, words were currently beyond her. Harry's arm was around her waist as he spoke. "Sir, you've been brilliant - to both of us and our families."

Hermione again nodding in agreement saw the tension leave the old wizard's body. "Thank you both for that. It will give me the strength to face what I must. For almost a century I've searched for the means to talk with my sister, finding it today saw this old fool take leave of all his senses. At least now I'm shortly going to be with her."

Seeing the pitying looks coming in his direction, Albus put them straight. "I am in full control of my mental faculties. This curse withers your body and organs, leaving you fully aware of what's happening but helpless to do anything about it. Tom Riddle was a powerful genius, but also a fool too. He didn't know what he had, or would never have made it into a horcrux. Destroying his simultaneously attacking essence robbed me of any chance of fighting this curse, a curse that will be the end of me. In the same situation, I would make the exact same choice again. It would have been better not to have put the ring on in the first place but we can all learn from that. I should never have tackled this alone, his compulsion charm and my own intense desire to possess the stone meant my fate was sealed."

Taking his hand from Hermione's, Albus slipped it under the covers and pulled out the ring in question. "The horcrux has been defeated and the ring is now perfectly safe. It's the stone that's the significant thing here. I've searched for the Resurrection Stone since I left Hogwarts as a student. It's rather ironic I found it the same day that I'll die."

The gasp came from Amelia. "The Resurrection Stone is real?"

"Since Harry is now holding it, that would have to be a yes. Three turns of the stone allows its owner to talk with those who have passed on. Harry, call for me whenever you need help or advice. I'm not really leaving you, our loved ones never really leave us..."

There wasn't a dry eye around the bed at that but Albus could feel his time was getting short. "Harry, I need you to summon my wand from me." His hand delved once more beneath the covers, bringing out his wand. Harry summoning and catching it produced a light show that had Hermione needing to reinforce her privacy charms.

"The Elder Wand has served me faithfully for many, many years. Since you already have the Cloak of Invisibility in your possession, you are now master of all three Deathly Hallows - and Master of Death."

"Albus, that's nothing but a child's tale..."

"Most of which are based on some semblance of fact, Amelia. The Hallows origins may be cloaked in mystery, that they exist can no longer be disputed - nor can their ownership. Harry, your friend Luna's father is very knowledgable on the subject. Like me though, his judgement could be impaired if presented with them. That you are the Master of the Hallows must be kept a secret, except from the people here. Speaking of secrets, I think the rest of the family needs to know yours. You will need help and support moving forward, they can supply it."

Choosing to ignore that advice for the moment, Hermione focused on something else Albus had said. "Sir, what does it mean to be Master of Death?"

"It doesn't make Harry immortal or indestructible, nothing like that. The true master does not seek to run away from Death. He accepts that he must die, and understands that there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying."

Wrapping both arms around his intended, Harry gave his thoughts on the matter. "I already knew that, Sir. I am far more worried about anything happening to Hermione than I am to me."

"That just shows what a wise man you are, Harry, and also why I thought you could handle something that would corrupt a lesser wizard."

Not liking the sound of what she was hearing, Emma placed a hand on the shoulder of the boy she was coming to consider her son. "Do you feel any different?"

Taking a moment to look inward, Harry answered as best he could. "I feel calmer, that's the best description I can come up with. The headmaster is dying, but it's not the end. He will see his family, and I will see him again. It's not the end, rather like beginning a new chapter. Does that make sense?"

Leaning forward, Emma kissed his cheek. "More than you could possibly know."

Albus took this opportunity, probably his last, to speak with Hermione's parents. "Emma, Dan, I know and understand your commitment to your family. I can neither fault nor criticises it. All I can ask is that you go over the problems carefully before making decisions that will affect the entire country."

It was Dan who actually answered. "Our primary concern is keeping these two safe, that hasn't changed. We now have a lot more people that we would like, no, need to keep safe as well. We won't make a decision like that rashly, but we will make it if we need to..."

"That is all I ask. That, and calling Poppy. I feel I am now in need of her wonderful potions."

Hermione had no sooner lowered her charms than Poppy was over in a flash. "Albus?"

"Yes, Poppy, it's time."

She took a vial from her pocket, removed the stopper and Albus greedily drank it down. Only moments later, he was asleep.

"He is in great pain from that curse but wouldn't let me administer anything to aid him. He was adamant he had to have full control of his mental faculties to speak with you. He won't wake again, the pain would be too great for him to think straight anyway. I'll keep him heavily sedated until organ failure finally takes him from us..."

With that the six left the infirmary, heading for the Grangers' quarters. Not a word was spoken en route, or even after they arrived. As Harry crashed down onto a large armchair, Hermione instantly sitting on his knee, he made his mind up. "Family meeting."

Dobby and Darla appeared, serving drinks to four adults who looked as if the needed them. Hermione used snuggling as an excuse to whisper into Harry's ear. "Are you sure?"

A quick peck on her cheek allowed him to whisper his answer. "No, but I'm sure we can handle it if things go wrong."

As Dobby sat on the floor, inviting Darla to sit beside him, Hermione had to agree. With their presence, the four of them should be able to handle any trouble Sirius or Amelia might start. While pretty certain Sirius would accept the situation, Amelia was an unknown - and Sirius would then back his fiancée to the hilt.

Amelia actually kicked the discussions off, though unintentionally. "Isn't that the house elf Malfoy handed the diary to? A diary that suddenly had a sock hidden in it."

Not wanting to have that manoeuvre criticised, or looked at too closely just yet, Harry was blunt with his answer. "Yes, and Darla is now a Potter elf. She played a big part in ensuring that diary ended up in our possession, we in turn will do our very best to look after her. She, like Dobby, is now happy to be a Potter elf - and a valued member of our family."

"Easy, Harry, Ami didn't mean anything. I didn't even know about Dobby..."

"I'm sorry, Sirius, but that was deliberate. You're going to hear things in this room that can't be spoken of outside it, outside of this company anyway. This might compromise Amelia's position, again sorry but this will affect hundreds - if not thousands of lives. Albus was right, we need help. Without it, our families will be left with little choice but to leave Britain - dooming this country to the darkness."

Dobby popped away for a few seconds, returning with a bottle he placed in front of the couple who were about to have their world turned upside down. Sirius cracked a joke about it couldn't be that bad, only for Harry's comment of 'much worse' to have him topping up their glasses.

Hermione moved from Harry's lap to tell her story, Amelia and Sirius couldn't help but think it was a tactical move too. Between Harry, Hermione and the two elves, they were boxed in. Hearing Hermione mention time travel, both of them knew for certain it had been tactical.

Hermione gave them the general background, the ministry framing Harry, wiping his memory and binding his magic. Dumbledore teaching her what she needed to know. Explaining to Sirius how she already knew him from the future had Hermione in tears for the second time today.

"I'm really sorry we had to leave you in Azkaban, knowing you were innocent too, but we had to do it when the time was right. Voldemort was in the castle and we wanted him taken out. It was all about timing, and we weren't in control of that."

"You got me out, got me cleared, and the rat got my old cell. I'll happily settle for that. I thought something was strange when you mentioned having occlumency shields in my house at the summer. After how crazy that day turned out, it just slipped my mind to ask you about it. You coming back in time helps explain how you managed that, and everything else you've both achieved. It also goes some way to explain the trust Dumbledore had in you both, finding out Harry's nearer twenty than twelve. What about Ami in that other future? Did we still get together?"

Taking a deep breath, Hermione told them what she knew would be horrible to hear. "With you being the most wanted criminal in Britain, Amelia head of the D.M.L.E. and the entire country still thinking you guilty, you were forced to hide in Grimmauld Place. None of us knew anything about you two being a couple, you had no contact whatsoever in the other timeline. With Harry taken out the picture and then Dumbledore murdered the following summer, there was nothing and no one to oppose Voldemort's move on the ministry. Rumour was Voldemort had personally killed Amelia before he made that move. Britain soon fell into darkness, deep into darkness. With Snape headmaster of Hogwarts come that September, Draco had Susan dragged into the Slytherin dorms. There was no one willing to object, no one willing to protect her. Susan hanged herself before Halloween was reached, and the Slytherins simply moved on to their next female victim..."

Amelia's grip on her tumbler had been getting tighter and tighter, right from the moment time travel had been mentioned. As a ministry official, her duty here was clear. Listening though, her duty to the country came violently into conflict with her appointed ministerial role. Hearing of her own murder at the hands of Voldemort was hard, but not something too unexpected in the described circumstances. Listening to what then befell Susan saw the glass in her hand shatter from the increased pressure of her grip. The spilled firewhisky stung her cuts but Amelia didn't even acknowledge this, she drew her wand and placed it in her bloody hand.

"I swear on my spilled blood to help you in any way I can with the defeat of this monster, and any of his followers who rise up to support him. I also swear to aid you with making this country a place where people will not only object to atrocities like you just mentioned - they'll stand up and do something about it."

While Sirius gently took her wand and began healing her hand with a few charms, a relieved Harry answered Amelia. "Thanks for your support, and I can swear we will never let anything like that happen to Susan. Defeating Voldemort wasn't enough when I was a toddler, and it won't be enough this time either. We have to start changing witches' and wizards' opinions of our country and community, something Dumbledore fully supported and was a great help with."

Hermione went back and sat on Harry's knee, adding her reasoning to his argument. "If that doesn't happen, we really will have no option but to leave Britain. We'll be taking all our family, and as many of our friends with us as we can. You and Susan are of course now considered family."

Dan had been merely sipping his brandy, having heard this story before. He now tried to help the two people Hermione had just called family. "We were told this at Christmas, these two having trouble passing for an eleven and twelve year old in front of parents who knew their daughter too well. Our reactions to the news were pretty much the same as yours. Having time to think about it, and get to know Harry, we now have a better handle on this. Muggle Harry was in grave danger so Hermione headed into a Voldemort controlled Britain to try to save him. Rather than then attempt escaping, they broke the very laws of time itself to try and return Harry's magic and memories."

A sip of brandy was needed before he could continue. "The people they are trying to save are now no longer merely names to Emma and I. Susan, Parvati, Padma, Hannah, Luna - we know these girls and will do our very best to protect them. If the best way to protect them though becomes heading to Black Island, that's what we all need to agree to do. Tonight I promised Dumbledore we would all talk it over first, and that's certainly not a discussion we will be having soon. It'll take a few weeks at least before things settle down."

Amelia turned her attention to the not so young couple sitting on the armchair. "I understand why you were concerned about telling me this, being an auror is a massive part of my life. This is one case however where my duty to my family takes precedence with me. If heading out to Azkaban and gutting every one of those death eater bastards with a dull, rusty blade saved my Susan from the fate you just described, I would already have left."

Hermione's smile never reached her eyes. "You don't have to travel that far, Amelia. I can tell you about a convicted death eater who's not currently in Azkaban, a rabid death eater who was also instrumental in Voldemort's return. Barty Couch Jr. is not dead, he's currently being held prisoner at home by his father. It was his polyjuiced mother who died in that cell. We need to take him out, I just couldn't figure a way of passing on that information to the people who could."

"I was going to ask if you were sure, but of course you are. Shit! I don't know how I'm going to do this either, his father is still a powerful figure in the ministry. Can the same trick you used on Malfoy work?"

This led to an immediate shake of the head from Hermione. "The Malfoys treated their elves worse than slaves, Dobby and Darla were desperate to get away. Winky is devoted to the Crouch family. That type of approach would quickly explode in our faces, informing the Crouchs we were on to them. It's also one of the reasons we don't have the elves trying to find more horcruxes. I think though that's now an option we might have to take a risk with."

That was Emma's cue. She was really worried about something else, and decided now was the time for answers. "Speaking of risks, are there any associated with these Deathly Hallows? Neither Dan nor I know anything about this. From their expressions in the infirmary, Harry and Hermione are in the same boat too."

A couple of nods from the young couple placed Sirius and Amelia in the hot seat. "I knew James had an invisibility cloak, it came from his father. I assume that's the one Dumbledore meant. I've also heard of the Elder Wand, sometimes known as the death stick. The person who wields it is supposed to be unbeatable in a duel, so the legend says. I've never heard of the Hallows though, deadly or otherwise."

"Yes you have." Interrupted Amelia. "It's the tale of the three brothers you were taught as a child. Each of them were supposedly gifted a hallow from Death. The brother with the wand boasted to everyone he was now unbeatable in a duel, so was murdered as he slept and the wand stolen. The brother granted the Resurrection Stone used it to bring a girl he loved back from the dead. She was neither ghost nor solid, and just further reminded him of his great loss. He supposedly committed suicide. The brother granted the cloak used it to hide from death, taking it off and bequeathing it to his family when he thought it was time to pass on."

"That's the Hallows?"

"Yes love. Since there is no record, legend or otherwise, of anyone ever owning all three at the same time - we're in uncharted waters here."

The groan coming from the chair was loud, though Harry didn't really intend for everyone to hear what he said next. "Why is it always me? Meet the most beautiful girl in the world, next day I'm eleven, stuck in an ancient Scottish castle and fighting a troll in a girls' toilet. For once, I'd just like to be normal. Is that too much to fuckin' ask for?"

A kiss from Hermione calmed him down, before she got Harry really excited. "There is something both my Harrys always wanted, and now you have the means to do so in your pocket..."

Only the fact that Harry wrapped his arms around his intended while shooting to his feet stopped Hermione landing on the floor. Instead she was hoisted into the air, before being lowered so an excited Harry could kiss her in thanks.

Watching as Sirius fell to bits right in front of them told Dan he knew what the youngsters were up to. Seeing Harry take the ring out of his pocket also confused the dentist, knowing Dumbledore was still alive. When realisation hit of exactly who Harry was going to summon, Dan wanted to sound a cautionary note. He wanted to but his brain was too busy screaming at him this was impossible. It only stopped screaming that message when a young couple in their early twenties appeared in the room.

That realisation had also hit Emma and saw her taking action. She quickly rose to be at Harry's side, grabbing him just as the couple she assumed were his parents appeared.

Harry's legs went rubbery, and only the Granger girls were keeping him standing. "Mum? Dad?"

"Oh son, we're so proud of you - and your lovely girl."

Hearing his mum say that put a massive smile on Harry's face. He ignored the tears that were streaming down his cheeks, he was by no means alone in currently suffering from that was speaking to a stunned Dan. "Thank you so much for taking our son into your family. These two have done amazing things, but they can only do so with their family backing them." He then turned to his best friend.

"Sirius, you let Peter Pettigrew make a bloody fool out of you!"

"Prongs, Lily, I'm so sorry..."

"James, behave. Sirius knows better than any of us what that cost, he paid a heavy price too. Hermione got him out, and the rat's now rotting in Azkaban. Amelia, never doubt the big mutt loves you. Thanks for believing in our children too. Sorry, Emma and Dan, but we already think of Hermione as our daughter. It's only their physical ages that are stopping them officially taking that step."

Standing with her arm still supportively around Harry, Emma certainly knew how to answer this visitor. "Lily, I understand exactly what you mean. I already think of Harry as mine and feel happier now, knowing you won't mind."

Turning her attention to her son, Lily was joined by James. "Harry, this is wonderful, and bloody torture at the same time. Your father and I desperately want to hug you and Hermione, but we can't. This is something you are going to have to use sparingly because it's so hard on all of us."

While nodding, his father had more to say. "Albus has promised to help you so call him when you need advice. We'll pass on any messages for you through him. Let's keep this as maybe an annual event, one we can all prepare for and then get the most benefit from."

Looking down at the two elves, Lily could only smile. "You are putting together a wonderful family here. Son, please tell that sister of mine that she's on the right path, and not to stray from it again."

Harry understood why his father was saying any repeating of this should be rationed, and planned for. There had been things he'd always wanted to ask his parents, irrespective of timelines. Seeing them in front of him however, his mind had gone totally blank. He shouldn't have dived right in and used the stone without planing something first, but his parents were in the same room as him so he couldn't really complain...

Hermione had something she wanted to ask. "Mrs Potter, whatever you did to protect Harry, it means Voldemort can't bear Harry touching him. Is there any way we can use that to defeat him?"

"It's Lily, Hermione, and his fight with Quirrell showed that it's possible. I'm just not wanting Harry or you to get that close to Voldemort again. I don't want you chasing after him either, Harry, just because you have that wand."

Seeing where Hermione was taking this discussion rebooted Harry's brain, he also needed to answer that last accusation. "Mum, Hermione would never let me do something as stupid as that. Do you know anything about horcruxes? How many, any locations?"

Lily shook her head as his father answered. "Sorry son, we only know what affects our family. Albus may have more information he can pass on to you. Please be careful, these are not things you should be taking chances with."

Everyone there agreed with James, they'd just had the example of Albus to reinforce that point.

Lily was now crying as they got ready to leave. "Call us again, son, perhaps doing so every Christmas?"

"Mum, that would be the best Christmas present - ever."

As James and Lily faded away, Dobby and Darla refreshed everyone's glasses. Emma and Hermione were now sitting with Harry wedged between them, Amelia was left having to hug the emotional wreck Sirius had become. Dan sat still nursing a brandy he'd barely touched. "Every time I think I'm getting a handle on this magic thing, something else comes along and blows me away. Harry, Sirius and Amelia, I didn't know Lily or James and that blew my mind. How are you coping?"

Harry was quietly sobbing, yet smiling at the same time. There really was only one way he could answer that. "I got to meet my mum and dad..."

Sirius too was smiling through the tears. "Lily forgave me. I knew Prongs would, after shouting at me for a while, but Lily could be a terror when she wanted to be. Dan, I know exactly what you mean. Since Ami came to Azkaban for me, my life seems to be continually getting turned on its head."

It had been one hell of an emotional day but, just like when Dan and Emma first discovered their secrets, the talks and reminiscing went on long into the night. It was just before four a.m. when Dobby gave them the news the castle's ghosts, portraits and elves were broadcasting, Albus Dumbledore had passed away. The sun rose that morning on a country now poorer with his passing, and with no one quite sure what would happen next.

-oOoOo-

Severus had always considered his family house in Spinner's End to be barely a step up from a hovel. Today it felt palatial. He knew what was behind this ridiculous reassessment however, spending almost a year as a guest in Azkaban would alter anyone's perceptions.

While his extended stay in that cell certainly accounted for Severus looking at his home with new eyes, that the country had changed too while he'd been away was also undeniable. Lucius Malfoy was currently in an Azkaban cell while Potter and his mudblood now held Orders of Merlin, First Class. Trying to get his head around changes like that was going to take Severus a while.

Thankfully there was no pressing reason for him to leave Britain immediately. He planned to spend some time staying at his cottage, getting himself reacquainted with what was happening in the world. One of the first things he had done was to renew his subscription to the Daily Prophet, Severus eagerly took his copy from the delivery owl. Opening the newspaper though immediately indicated things had just changed once more. Severus would need time to decide whether this was a good thing - or a disaster.

The headline screamed that Dumbledore was at Death's door, and that door was expected to open anytime soon. Reading between the lines of the article, Severus was able to surmise that Albus must have been caught out by some dark magic artefact. That this artefact was able to overpower Dumbledore severely limited the number of people who could have produced it. Severus could only think of one person powerful enough to achieve that result, and it sent a shiver of dread shooting up his spine.

This, and the story behind Potter's Order of Merlin, would seem to confirm the Dark Lord was actually in Hogwarts last term. If the Dark Lord really wasn't gone and Dumbledore actually died, the balance of magical power in Britain would soon undergo a radical change.

His reading of the situation was that the Dark Lord had returned from the dead, taught in Hogwarts for almost a year and left a trap there that finally killed Dumbledore. Even with Dumbledore very much alive, and over a decade younger, magical Britain couldn't cope with the Dark Lord the last time. Severus of course immediately discounted Potter as any threat whatsoever to the wizard he'd called master.

As far as Severus was now concerned, he was left facing two tough choices. Get as far away from Britain, and his returning master, as possible - spending the rest of his life hiding. His only other option would appear to be to search for his master and aid his return. Knowing the Dark Lord, Severus wasn't overly enamoured with either of those choices. Amongst all this guesswork however, only one thing could be counted on with complete certainty. Should his master return, Potter's life wouldn't be worth a knut. With no Dumbledore there to protect the brat, the Dark Lord would have his revenge.

As far as Severus was concerned, seeing the last of the Potters die was a large point in favour of the 'finding his master' option. He'd hated the boy from the instant the brat had entered Hogwarts. Adding to that hatred, Severus had been sacked and then spent almost a year in Azkaban - all thanks to Potter.

This was a decision he had to get right, his very life hung in the balance, so Severus would not be rushing it. He also needed all the information he could get to help with making this decision. It would appear to be a case of when, rather than if Dumbledore passed away. At that point, the newspapers would be full of articles relating to the wizard's long life that should supply the type of information he needed.

Knowing that, had Severus still been in the castle, he might have been able to assist Dumbledore cheered the newly released prisoner right up. Dumbledore had stabbed Severus Snape in the back, and those actions had been revisited on the old wizard a hundredfold. Severus was once more a free man, while Albus currently lay dying in Hogwarts. That was a massive shift in fortunes right there.

-oOoOo-

The funeral of Albus Dumbledore was going to be held at Hogwarts on Tuesday. While Amelia was involved with some of the arrangements for that event, she couldn't help but think this would be a perfect opportunity to deal with another problem - Barty Junior.

The ministry would practically be empty as everyone attended the funeral. While those conditions would certainly help with this delicate and politically sensitive mission, they also created another set of obstacles that needed to be overcome. Amelia couldn't lead the mission herself, her position alone dictated she would need to attend the funeral. Moody was certainly someone she trusted as a replacement to lead this capture but Mad-Eye had known Dumbledore longer than she had. Since Moody's physical appearance meant his presence was always noticed and noted, he couldn't miss the funeral either.

She needed to put together a team Amelia could trust to get the job done in secret, while not using anyone in her department with a high enough profile whose non-attendance at the funeral would raise any eyebrows. Since her reputation and livelihood were both at stake here, that was not an easy task.

-oOoOo-

Cissi's task wasn't proving easy either, more a case of a work in progress. Her first week of classes had been both terrifying and, at the same time, exhilarating. She was beginning to think teaching was something she could enjoy. There was no joy in privately confronting her son about his behaviour though, exasperation probably described her current emotion best.

"Draco, Dumbledore dying doesn't mean things inside Hogwarts are going to revert back to the way you want them to. The new classes and robes are here to stay, and I honestly think those are good things."

"But my father…"

"Your father will be spending the rest of his life in Azkaban, your godfather just got released from that place. Doesn't that tell you they were wrong?"

Draco was about to continue obstinately defending his position before Cissi cut him off. "The Dark Lord was defeated while trying to murder a toddler, after killing the same toddler's parents and making that child an orphan. Regardless of your blood beliefs, surely you must see that's wrong? Severus pleaded guilty to casting an illegal curse on an eleven year old wizard. That he was a professor and that wizard was a student supposedly in his care just makes his crime all the worse. Your father deliberately hid a very dark artefact in a twelve year old witch's robe pocket. He confessed under truth serum that artefact would possess the witch, forcing her to commit terrible crimes before finally killing her. Do you think any of that is behaviour acceptable in our society?"

"But Potter…"

"…has been two steps ahead of everyone who's tangled with him since he stepped into Hogwarts." Letting her anger show at least silenced Draco. Whether her son would take notice of what she was saying though was a different matter.

"You think having the last name Malfoy entitles you to special treatment, correct?" A nod from her son was all the answer Cissi needed. "Yet you clearly think that Harry Potter, twice defeater of the Dark Lord and holder of our society's highest award for bravery, doesn't deserve that same kind of special treatment."

"He's a halfblood…"

"…who's actually done the things people show him respect for. Respect is earned, Draco, whether for deeds or position. My students respect me as a Professor, did they show the same level of respect to Lockhart?"

"The man was an imbecile! You saw what he did to me…"

"Yes, Draco, and you're correct. It's not the position that gives respect, rather the person holding it. It's the same with names. Your father has lost any respect the Malfoy name once had. It will now be up to you, as the last remaining Malfoy, to restore that respect. Remember, respect has to be earned. Lockhart used bluster and downright lies in his attempt to portray himself as something he clearly wasn't. Every single person in the castle soon saw right through him. You have to go away and decide how you want others to think of you, and then start behaving in a manner that might one day achieve what you want."

Comparing Draco to the despised Lockhart certainly got his attention. If he learned nothing from this talk though, Cissi needed the next bit to stick. "Harry Potter is the last of his line too. Look at how he's dealing with the same situation, and then decide how you want to move forward with building respect for the Malfoy name. Lockhart took on Potter, the entire school saw how that turned out - right before the press then destroyed the lying fool on their front pages. You cannot continue to snipe at Lord Potter, and especially not at his intended or family. Use that keen mind I know you possess. You have nothing to gain from behaviour like that, and everything to lose."

Knowing this was hard for her son to hear, Cissi tried sprinkling some sugar over her words in the hope this harsh medicine went down. "Your father had a golden rule he followed, until he didn't see the changes. 'Whoever has the gold makes the rules'. I actually believe that to be true, but it's not just gold you need to make the rules. Your father's position in our society gave him a lot of power. He couldn't accept that things had changed and his stupidity saw him lose that power. When that power was gone, even his gold couldn't save him from Azkaban. You have none of that power and no access to the Malfoy gold until you're seventeen. With no adult Malfoys to protect you either, that leaves you vulnerable. You will have to tread carefully until you come of age."

Putting a time limit on his modified behaviour seemed to help her son accept what was necessary. Draco's nod of agreement delighted his mother, Cissi knowing she would need those years to make these behaviour modifications permanent. She hated having to say this next bit but Draco was better hearing it from her, and also in an environment where he could safely let off steam without his words causing trouble.

"With Dumbledore gone, you know who the witches and wizards of Britain are going to look to now for leadership?"

-oOoOo-

Hermione was forced to erect silencing charms around her Gryffindor bedroom, and not because she was getting up to anything with Harry that they didn't want Neville to hear. No, the problem was Harry had just reached the end of his tether and was loudly venting his anger in the form of a rant. Hermione was letting him vent, pleased that at least he managed to hold it together until they were somewhere alone.

"Summon my wand, Harry. Congratulations, you're now the Master of Death. What does that mean, Albus? He unbelievably doesn't even bloody know! Why didn't he mention that, or anything else, to us before asking me to summon that wand of his?"

"I don't think Dumbledore had any time left to discuss the problem, love. You can ask him about it when we next speak to him. Maybe he'll know more about being the Master of Death, now that he's actually dead himself."

Hearing the hurt in Hermione's voice was like a bucket of ice cold water being poured over his head. Fighting to rein in his temper, Harry wrapped Hermione in his arms. "I'm sorry for sounding off at you, Hermione. You knew him much longer and far better than I did. This is also the second time for you that Dumbledore has died. Sometimes all the madness in the magical world just gets to me. They think I'm twelve, yet want me to stand up and speak at what will effectively be a state funeral. Who wants to hear a twelve year old boy? Nuts, they're all fucking nuts..."

Feeling Harry beginning to relax in her arms, Hermione went back over some things both of them knew to be true - but Harry was having a real hard time comprehending.

"You are Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, banisher of Voldemort - twice - and recipient of an Order of Merlin, First Class. They don't see an age, love, they see exactly what they want to see - a hero. With the magical public accepting Voldemort is not gone, and now Dumbledore dying, they need a hero more than ever. It's silly, stupid, you could even say it's fucking nuts - but that's the way it is."

Harry lovingly kissed the girl he worshipped. "I'm sure I actually did say it was fucking nuts, you being here in my arms however makes everything worth it. What are we gonna do about this speech though, I have no intention of becoming the ministry's poster boy?"

Returning his kiss, before leading Harry to bed, Hermione offered her solution. "They want you to speak, then do so. This is an opportunity to say what you want, I know you'll never be a ministry mouthpiece. A bit of advice though, I would leave the phrase 'fucking nuts' out of your speech. You really need to practice controlling that temper of yours."

Cuddling in to his intended, Harry couldn't help but smile. "I don't know, Hermione. It got me here, in bed with you..."

Harry swore he heard her mutter 'bloody prat' but since Hermione then began kissing him, he didn't really care. When Hermione kissed him like that, he didn't care about anything else.

As Hermione deepened the kiss, she couldn't help but think 'mission accomplished' before Harry soon had her forgetting about everything else except kissing him back.

When sleep eventually claimed them, the contented couple knew they would face whatever challenges that came their way together. Being together for the rest of their lives was always going to be the most important factor for both of them in any plans they made.


	25. Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

**You're My Density**

**While anyone reading my stories will know I'm not a fan of the character Severus Snape, I am a massive fan of Alan Rickman. Some kids at school actually came running into my office at lunchtime to tell me the news. That they were in tears really says it all.**

**One of our own is currently fighting this terrible disease, Bobmin365. I'm not much of a prayer person but Bob and his wife, Alex, deserve all the help we can give. My thoughts and good wishes are with you.**

**Chapter 25 - Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot**

While holding an event like this outdoors on a November afternoon, particularly in the Scottish Highlands, would normally be out of the question, this was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There was no way all those who wished to attend Dumbledore's funeral would ever manage to squeeze into the great hall so the largest concentration of house elves in the British Isles had created an area outside the castle's walls that was pleasantly warm and protected from the elements.

This bubble of calm conditions was accessed from the castle by a covered walkway, ensuring all the guests would be warm and dry from start to finish. It was an astonishing piece of magic, yet one that would simply be overlooked by the vast majority of the attending guests.

Even as they took their reserved seats at the front of this massive gathering, Harry and Hermione were still refining their speech to include things they'd seen today. While it was their speech, both understood it would be much more powerful if Harry delivered it. He though insisted Hermione be at his side as he did so. After his dream last night, that was an invitation Hermione was never going to turn down.

Sirius was sitting with Amelia, Dan and Emma, Petunia not being able to make the funeral. He was just thinking the entire magical populous must be in attendance when a voice he hadn't heard in many years lent even more credence to that idea.

"Hello Sirius, how are you?"

Standing up immediately, Sirius ignored the offered hand and pulled the wizard into a hug. "Mooney, where the hell have you been hiding?"

"I was out of the country when news broke of your trial. I have to say though, that news was kinda buried under all the stories of what that godson of yours had been up to. I was working my way back to Britain when I heard about Dumbledore. I owe him so much, I simply had to come..."

"Of course you had to come, you should've been home ages ago. This is Emma and Dan Granger, Hogwarts professors, dentists and Hermione's parents. This is my best friend, Remus Lupin. Hermione is Harry's intended, you'll certainly meet her later. Of course, you already know my fiancée..."

"Same old Sirius, though I thought Amelia was immune to your charms."

This actually had Amelia smiling, even though her thoughts were currently on events that were planned to happen elsewhere. "Not immune, I just had a very high tolerance factor. Getting to know Sirius again rekindled something in both of us, and I said yes when he asked. It's good to see you again, Remus. Please sit with us." Some shuffling soon had him seated beside Sirius, just before things officially kicked off.

Dan had surmised from what Amelia and Sirius had said beforehand that wizarding funerals might be different from what he and Emma would possibly recognise as such. While standing and speaking about the deceased, and the impact they'd had on the speaker's life, was both recognisable and understandable to them, today's event felt more like a political rally than a funeral to the two dentists.

The young Gryffindor couple were sitting waiting on their turn in the proceedings to speak. They were up after someone called Deadly Dingle, or something like that. Both thought it sounded like a mystical creature Luna would make up. Diggle eventually spent about quarter of an hour going on and on about how he and Albus were such great friends before leaving the small stage in tears.

It was now Harry and Hermione's turn to face a large crowd who, if they felt anything like them, would be bored to tears with what they'd already heard here today. The crowd hopefully wouldn't be bored after listening to what they had to say. They were dressed in their finest robes, the Potter, Black and Hogwarts crests competing with their Orders of Merlin, First Class for attention. Confidently approaching the podium that already had a voice magnifying charm imbedded into the elaborate carvings, Harry took a steadying breath before beginning.

"Today we're all here to say goodbye to a great wizard. That Dumbledore was a great wizard is beyond dispute. There seems to be some confusion though over just who Albus Dumbledore actually was. While the headmaster was many different things to so many people - politician, statesman, leader, friend - I think we were privileged to see the real Albus Dumbledore."

Hermione could see a few disparaging looks heading in their direction at that comment, as if they dare claim they knew Albus better than them. Her hand slipped into Harry's, offering encouragement for him to continue.

"Between his time as a student, Transfiguration Professor and of course Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore spent over sixty years at Hogwarts. He passed away in the castle's infirmary and Hogwarts will now be his final resting place. Hogwarts was way more than just his occupation, his home, it became his life. Those of us privileged enough to have been taught by the great man will tell you Albus Dumbledore was a wonderful teacher. That was his passion, seeing students grasp the particular piece of knowledge he was trying to impart was certain to get those eyes of his twinkling with a delightful sense of achievement."

Both could see that taking this line had won the doubters over, no one could dispute Albus was brilliant at teaching. This was the part though that wouldn't sit well with certain members of the audience but they didn't really care. If they wanted to hear Harry Potter speak, he was going to say exactly what he and Hermione wanted to.

"Even lying there in his coffin, Albus is still trying to teach us lessons we really need to learn. Being Albus Dumbledore though meant you had to do a bit of work for that knowledge. He would never just come right out and say something, rather provide enough clues for you to work out the answer for yourself. So that's what we're going to do right now."

This had more than the crowd nervous. Harry's speech was second last in this event, with only the Minister of Magic still to speak. Fudge was a career politician however so they had no worries that he wouldn't be able to say something after them. Both were betting however that his carefully prepared speech would probably be torn up after they were finished speaking.

"Look around you. The sheer number of people here today is an instant indication of just how high an esteem Albus was held in. What we have to do though is take a closer look, because that's where the real message lies. In the crowd we have witches and wizards from all walks of life, yet you can be sure Albus treated every single one of them the same. At last month's Quidditch match, Hogwarts played host to the muggle parents of our younger students. Two of those parents are in this audience today. From the moment they met, Albus treated them so well they are now professors at Hogwarts."

Hermione gave a smile and a little wave to her parents as Harry kept going. "We have representations from ministries all over Europe here to pay their respects, as well as representatives from the Goblin Nation. Again, Albus would have treated them all as equals. If you look behind me, toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest, you will see an honour guard of Centaurs. Look toward the lake you'll witness the same respect being demonstrated from the Merepeople. This ceremony could only take place because the castle's house elves were able to create this wonderful magical bubble that's protecting us from the usual Scottish November weather. Albus treated the Centaurs, Merepeople and House Elves with respect, that's why they are all here to honour him today."

That didn't go down too well with some of the people present but Harry carried on regardless. If they didn't like hearing that, they were certainly not going to like the rest of his speech. The passion began to build in both of them as Harry started the process of publicly nailing their colours to the mast.

"While I understand hearing this might make some people uncomfortable, let's examine the alternative that's been offered by a privileged few. Wars are never pretty but the last conflict fought in this country doesn't deserve the name war. It was nothing more than a bunch of thieves and murderers trying to overthrow this country's legal government of the day."

At this time of the year, so far north, the sun never climbed high in the sky. It was currently peeking out from the clouds and backlighting Harry and Hermione. This in itself was a dramatic effect. When you then factored in the magical power that appeared to be bubbling over from this passionate young witch and wizard, and distorting the sunlight now shining from behind them, it was truly mesmerising to see. Harry's words also drove home their opinion like hammering a tent peg in with a sledgehammer.

"There was no honour involved in their cause, this was no noble quest to form a better land for everyone who lived here. Men, women and children were being slaughtered in their sleep for the supposed crime of not meeting their murderer's ill thought out standards. My father actually met those standards, but simply disagreeing with their bigoted opinions was enough to have these genocidal scum turn up at your door. Their acts were so despicable and cowardly, they wore masks as they murdered innocent women and children. This allowed them to walk amongst us during the daylight, as if taking off their mask removed the stain of blood from all the innocents they had murdered. When their leader was defeated, those masks were hidden as they tried to pretend they were still respectable citizens. The arrest and trial of Lucius Malfoy showed that these people haven't changed."

The audience reaction to Harry's speech was as varied as the Scottish weather. One thing was certain however, none of the listeners were bored. Many were actually terrified over what this boy would say next, Harry didn't keep them waiting. "If you're still not sure, then just look around and ask yourself this very simple question. How many people attended Voldemort's Funeral? After Voldemort's demise, how many witches and wizards stood and proclaimed they believed in his teachings?"

If the Weasley twins has simultaneously set off the country's entire stock of dung bombs inside this elven made bubble, there were still people sitting whose complexions couldn't have gotten any greener. Raising their joined hands high in the air, Harry finished their presentation.

"Hermione and I are proud to say we had Albus Dumbledore as a mentor. We stand here today and publicly proclaim both of us will do our best to live our lives by the lessons he taught us. Earlier this year, we stood together and once more defeated Voldemort - and will continue that fight until the darkness is defeated. Who amongst you will stand against the darkness with us?"

The silence that question caused was soon broken. The Centaurs were first to shout their support, the Merepeople's song certainly sounded as if they supported the young couple's stance too. The loud pops caused by what must be every house elf in the castle appearing inside the bubble startled those sitting, no one had ever seen a house elf standing proudly before. The Goblin delegation too were on their feet, their lack of height however not making their gesture of support as dramatic as some of the others.

Minerva McGonagall seemed to be the first amongst the witches and wizards to stand, so many people got to their feet at once it was hard to say with any certainty. She was certainly the first to place her right hand over her heart, a move Harry and Hermione quickly copied, This gesture was then mirrored by everyone on their feet - even the house elves took it up.

Remus was on his feet, his hand might be on his heart but his mind was certainly elsewhere. He could only mutter one word though. "Merlin!"

Standing beside him, a proud Sirius was beaming a megawatt grin. "That's my godson, and his wonderful girl. Between them, they're going to turn our world on its head."

After what he'd just witnessed, Remus had no cause to disagree with Padfoot. The young couple had basically called all Voldemort's followers murdering cowards, and then got everyone here to stand up to show their support of their fight against these animals. Remus knew he had been out of the country for years but this was unbelievable. Even though he'd just witnessed it happening, he was still having trouble believing it.

Like Remus, Dan was also standing with his hand over his heart. Unlike Remus however, after what happened this morning, Dan had no trouble believing what he'd just witnessed.

-o- earlier -o-

Both parents knew something was wrong the instant Harry and Hermione entered their accommodation, Hermione practically leading Harry to an armchair before sitting in his lap was a sure giveaway.

"Harry had another dream last night, a bad one…"

"Hermione, if there are any worse days than that in my past then I don't ever want to experience them."

With going down to breakfast now forgotten about, both parents sat to hear what had happened. They thought this could be bad but 'bad' just didn't do it justice.

"Last night, I experienced the final event of the Tri-Wizard tournament. Sorry love, but hearing of Cedric being murdered and experiencing it are two totally different things. I now understand why that Harry flew into a rage when the ministry dragged him in front of their show trial. Experiencing that would break people a lot stronger than a fourteen year old boy."

Kissing her intended, Hermione defended that Harry to her new Harry. "They never broke you. Even without the support structure you have now, they still couldn't break you. You didn't have me as your girlfriend, you didn't even know my mum and dad. The Weasleys and me were really the only friends close to you. There was no family support from the Dursleys and Sirius was the most wanted man in Britain, so couldn't leave Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore repeatedly withheld crucial information and everyone else treated us like little kids. Looking back, you losing your temper at that trial was practically inevitable - but they still couldn't break you."

Gazing into those hazel eyes he loved so much, Harry voiced his greatest fear. "Losing you would break me, losing you would kill me…"

"Never going to happen…"

At this point Dan interrupted, since it appeared the couple cuddling on the chair were entering their own little universe where no one else existed. "Excuse me for asking but what has one dream changed?"

With his arms still tightly around Hermione, Harry uttered the words he knew her parents would hate. He hated those words himself. "Everything, Dan, it changes everything. As I said to Hermione, watching Cedric's murder was hundreds of times worse than hearing about it. Seeing Voldemort though, that was the game changer. He wants to kill me, needs to kill me, and will stop at nothing until he achieves that. We might be able to hide but he won't let up, he won't rest until I'm dead. What do we do when he decides to murder all the first years in Hogwarts unless I face him in a duel? Threatens to raise Crawley to the ground? Starts randomly wiping out muggle schools - nothing is beyond the bounds of possibility to this maniac."

That this shocked the two dentists was hardly surprising, someone who was a capable of committing cold-blooded savagery on a scale like that really had to be seen before you could believe it. The casual way that ugly little construct had said 'kill the spare' was easily the most shocking thing Harry had witnessed in his entire life, and finally opening his eyes to what a restored version of Voldemort would be capable of. That the life of pureblood Cedric Diggory was wiped out with about the same regard one would swat an annoying fly that entered your home spoke volumes to the witnessing Harry.

"In the original timeline I was stripped of my memories and magic, so was no longer any threat whatsoever to him. He and his death eaters would have spent their time after Dumbledore was murdered tightening their grip on the country. That witches and wizards were still talking about me a couple of years later was eventually enough for him to decide it was time for me to die too. Thankfully, he didn't reckon with my wonderful best friend."

While getting the gist of this, Dan needed to hear the words spoken out loud. "What are you saying, Harry?"

"Voldemort has to die, preferably before he can get himself a new body. We have to take a few more risks. Start going on the offensive while pulling out all the stops searching for his horcruxes. I know some graves that need robbing - that will be a good and yet safe place to start. If at all possible I want to avoid a direct confrontation with him, because I know who'll be standing right at my side if it comes down to that. Black Island is still an option, but more as a secure base of operations and safe haven for noncombatants - if things ever get that bad. This guy's like the Terminator, Dan, he'll just keep on coming - killing everything and everyone that stands in his way of getting to me. Like the Terminator though, we can stop him - permanently."

"Oh, does that make me Linda Hamilton?"

"Hermione, how can you joke about this?" Emma was almost in tears at the way this conversation had gone. Her daughter tried to reassure her, though without leaving Harry's lap.

"Mum, dad, this is who my Harry is. Yes he now thinks carefully about things, and considers all the options, but that doesn't mean he won't make the hard decisions. This is a very hard decision, but it's the right one. We still intend to take all the help we can get and hopefully put none of us at any risk. We also promise to discuss everything with you and not go charging off to battle. Right now, the only thing that's changed is our attitudes."

While agreeing with his intended, Harry tried to explain to her parents what these changes would actually mean in terms of their actions. "Albus has been championing the changes that are without doubt helping magical Britain take a step back from the dark future Hermione witnessed. While both of you, Sirius and Amelia can certainly help that cause, none of you can publicly lead it. That can only come from the two of us. That's the only real change we're talking about here, anything else can be discussed amongst the family."

"Mum, dad, the people who will staunchly oppose our stance already hate me and Harry - nothing will change there if we do this. I see the transformation in Luna and can't help but think this is something we need to do. Starting today, we hope to become the new champions of our cause for the witches and wizards of Britain."

-o- present -o-

Dan watched as the young couple approached Dumbledore's casket and bowed. Hermione kissed the tips of her fingers before laying her hand on the lid. This seemed to produce a wonderful sound that completely filled the bubble they were all standing in before a flash of flame introduced Fawkes to the proceedings. The song from the Phoenix took on a mournful tone as it landed on the casket. Harry and Hermione approached the mythical bird, stroking his feathers in their attempt to offer some comfort over Fawkes' loss. The flashes coming from the photographers capturing this scene meant there was already no doubt what image would appear on tomorrow's front page.

When Fawkes flamed away, the young couple returned to their seats as all those assembled once more sat down.

As Cornelius walked toward the podium, Both Harry and Hermione noticed his prepared speech stayed firmly in his pocket. He gave a nod in their direction before starting to speak.

"Albus was many things to many people, I couldn't have said it better myself. To me, he was a confidant, a college, an advisor, a good friend. While Cornelius Fudge can stand here and mourn the passing of his friend, the Minister of Magic can't afford that luxury. As Lord Potter so eloquently implied, Albus was many, many things to the entire country. His loss left a large hole in our community that I, as Minister of Magic, didn't know how we were going to fill. I should however have known Albus would never leave us in the lurch. That was so ably demonstrated by the young people who just spoke to you before me. Albus might not have complied with the strict terms of the recognised agreement, does anyone who just witnessed them speak have any doubts that Harry and Hermione were his apprentices?"

This caused a ripple of surprise throughout the assembled crowd but Cornelius now had their full attention, and wasn't for letting their attention wander anywhere. He of course recognised what this couple had just attempted to do and, being a shrewd politician, certainly understood the value of having someone else available to take the blame if things went tits-up. The mere suggestion these two were Albus' apprentices lent a degree of respectability to their claim, and cost Cornelius nothing. His public popularity had skyrocketed since he'd aligned his ministry alongside the boy-who-lived, Cornelius saw no reason to change course now.

"While I have no doubts Albus had hoped to have more time to instruct his two apprentices, I also have no doubt he chose the right people to pass on his knowledge - and take up the banner of his beliefs. The fact that both were able to stand here on this sad day yet still command the attention and respect of what is actually a quite daunting crowd really showed everyone their metral. Even Albus Dumbledore though couldn't do what he was attempting alone, his friends, colleges and his apprentices were assisting him every step of the way. Those two apprentices will need all our help to take Albus' work forward, I would just like to assure Harry and Hermione they have mine. By the way everyone present stood a few moments ago, it would seem they have yours too."

At any other time, those comments would have drawn tumultuous applause. This was after all a funeral so support was shown by a respectful lowering of heads.

The house elves took this as their cue. Dumbledore's casket rose off the temporary podium it was resting on and floated toward the lake. It passed without any problem through the magical bubble and carried on across the grass, coming to rest on a raft floating at the edge of the lake. This raft was then taken up by the merepeople as it glided along the mirror smooth surface of the Black Lake, the raft's destination clearly being the island where the white marble tomb awaited the headmaster. Everyone stood once more as the elves floated the casket to its custom-built home. The thick marble lid being placed on top sealed Albus Dumbledore into his final resting place, a place that would always be visible to those who visited Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore may be gone but his influence lingered on.

A final bow of heads, lead by the Minister of Magic and the ceremony was over. Cornelius had barely stepped down from the podium, approaching Harry and Hermione, when the podium disappeared. So did the temporary one that had held the casket as tables laden with food and drink soon took up this space. Once again the house elves were performing incredible feats of magic, and once again it was being ignored by the vast majority of the crowds.

Cornelius ensured he was first to shake their hands, though he would be by no means the last to do that today. The young couple were continually introduced to people they didn't know. After what they'd said today, both had expected this.

They were happy to shake Arthur and his wife's hand. While this was Harry's first real meeting with Molly, both of them already liked her husband. Shaking Amos Diggory's hand was also an experience. Harry kept flashing back to seeing the broken wizard weeping over his son's body - that wouldn't be happening this time. A ministry witch called Dolores shook their hands but Harry could sense it was forced. Turning to Hermione, he was rather shocked to see that there was also a sense of revulsion reflected from her toward this witch too. That would be a story for later though as Harry found himself being introduced to Barty Couch.

While he had never met the wizard, nor had any memories of doing so, Harry did remember his death eater son. The memory of Barty Crouch Jr getting ready to murder him, and only being stopped from doing so by Dumbledore blasting the door off the defence professor's room, was still vivid in his mind. He wondered how Amelia managed to deal with the man at the ministry, now knowing he was harbouring his son at home. He was soon to find out as Amelia approached.

Instead of coming forward to greet Harry and Hermione, Amelia chose this moment to initiate a confrontation that surprised everyone within earshot - and she wasn't being quiet about it.

"Barty Crouch, you are under arrest. We already have your son safely locked away in a ministry cell…"

The shocked wizard turned to face the Minister of Magic. "Cornelius, what is going on here…" While turned though, a panicked Barty was reaching for his wand.

Harry and Hermione were in a position to see this and their stunners hit who they aimed at, along with another three - including Sirius'. Madam Bones clearly was not one for taking chances as the remaining two stunners had come from her aurors. A quick glance around showed there were actually six keeping a careful eye on the situation from all different angles. While two moved toward the fallen wizard, the other four were rapidly joined by other colleges and their presence soon had the crowd reassured everything was in hand.

While restraints were fitted, Barty's wand was being taken as evidence. Cornelius finally found his voice.

"Amelia, I hope you know what you're doing here? If you're wrong, Barty will demand your head - and I would be forced to give it to him."

"I wasn't joking, we have his son in a cell…"

The Umbridge witch couldn't help adding her two knuts worth. "That's preposterous! Everyone knows Barty's son died in Azkaban."

"Just like everyone knew my fiancé was a murdering betrayer? Everyone knowing that supposed fact saw Sirius Black flung in Azkaban for over a decade. No questioning, no trial - everyone just knew. Barty was the chief architect of that decision being made, while in the background he was busy engineering his own son's escape from the very same prison. There will be a public trial and, after hearing all the evidence, then 'everyone' will discover the truth. That's how things work, Dolores. No one is above the law - no one."

The aurors were taking a still unconscious Barty away, a very powerful indicator to all the people present of just how much things had changed. Cornelius took the opportunity to have a quiet word with Amelia.

"Are you sure about the public trial?"

"Cornelius, we have nothing to hide. Barty was working alone, using the imperius curse to keep his son under control. He's guilty, so let's show all the witches and wizards of Britain how we deal with guilty people. We're putting a marker down here. Doesn't matter who you are, break our laws and you will be dealt with. First Malfoy, now Crouch - we're cleaning up our country a bit at a time."

The very public arrest of such a prominent figure in the ministry could have spoiled the event, but not when there was free food and drink available. With only a few student representatives from each year attending, most of the school were currently in their houses being supervised by the prefects, Harry and Hermione stood out even more. Cissi watched people practically queue to meet them and knew keeping Draco from trying to antagonise these two was now more important than ever. They were the new golden couple of British wizarding society, and Cissi knew how that system worked.

When she first married Lucius, they had held that heady position. They were invited to every event, and that was where the power lay. Just a mention to the host or organiser could see names added to the guest list - or removed. Although they probably didn't understand this yet, Potter and Granger now held this power to a far greater degree than the Malfoys ever had. With who they had around them though, Cissi knew that would soon be explained.

Watching as Augusta Longbottom publicly embraced both of them sent a message out to everyone who witnessed the act. Come Christmas, the Longbottom Ball would be the most sought after invitation in Britain. By her actions, Augusta had just declared Harry Potter and Hermione Granger would be present. Her ball was already a guaranteed success, while the former premier event on the British social calendar, the Malfoy Yule Ball, would be nothing more than a memory.

Like everything in life, things tend to work in cycles. The problem here was Cissi couldn't see anyone else being able to dethrone these two as the king and queen of society for many years to come. Their eventual marriage and any subsequent children would only cement their positions, not harm them. This unfortunately meant that the only way her son could ever regain any prominence for the once proud Malfoy name was with the approval of this couple.

Even without trying to, they held her son's future in their hands. What pureblood family would let their daughter marry Draco if the Malfoy money didn't grant that daughter access to the top echelons of wizarding society? Augusta had also cleverly just elevated her grandson into the most eligible bachelor in Britain status, since his best friend, Harry Potter, was most definitely off the market.

Trying to get her son to accept this new reality though was certain to prove a lot more challenging than teaching defence. Cissi would have another talk with Draco tomorrow, preferably before the newspapers were delivered to Hogwarts.

Dan and Emma had finally caught up with them while Amelia was thanking the couple for being so alert. Sirius dramatically cleared his throat, causing Amelia to thank him too, but this was not the reason behind his actions.

"Harry, Hermione, there's someone I want you to meet. This is Remus Lupin, a very good friend of mine - and Harry's parents too. Remus was actually a prefect with Lily and a marauder, his marauder name is Moony."

"A stag, grim and wolf - yet Prongs, Padfoot and Moony were the best names you could come up with? Looks like these marauders weren't as hot as they thought they were, Hermione." Harry was smiling as he held his hand out to a Remus who thought he couldn't be any more shocked today. Harry mentioning wolf in that manner had Remus instantly looking toward Sirius.

"You told him about me?"

"Moony, these two used the marauders map to capture that rat and get me freed - while still in first year. They also won those medals they're wearing for defeating Voldemort, the very same night! The marauders thought we were hot but trust me, we weren't ever in the same league as this pair."

"Why thank you, Sirius. Harry, behave yourself. Pleased to meet you Mr Lupin, I'm Hermione Granger. Oh, and your furry little problem doesn't make any difference to us."

Hermione had fond memories of Remus, she just didn't know if they could trust him - certainly not with something as big as their secret. The fact that she'd seen him transformed, and the werewolf had wanted to kill both her and Harry, played no part in Hermione's decision.

Remus was a kind and compassionate man, an academic who was also brave and loyal. While Remus Lupin was a wizard who wouldn't hesitate to stand beside them in any fight, there's no way he would get involved in publicly pushing the changes they wanted to happen. Remus had been dealing with his condition for so long, he'd let it define who he was. The attitudes of witches and wizards in Britain toward those afflicted with lycanthropy had certainly played a massive part in forging what was Remus' defence mechanism against being hurt.

A change in attitude had allowed Luna to emerge from her defence mechanism cocoon and bloom into a beautiful butterfly. While Remus could never be described as a butterfly, the mere chance of him one day being able to stand that bit straighter was yet another reason for them to continue with their cause. Hermione didn't know but there was news coming Remus' way that would allow him to take the first steps down that long road.

While shaking Hermione's hand, Remus had an epiphany. "Very pleased to meet you, and hear that. Hermione, I hope your not offended if I say that, though you look nothing like her, your poise, mannerisms and the way you speak remind me so much of a dear friend of mine - Lily Evans, later to become Lily Potter. She was also the only person I've ever met who could keep James and Sirius in line, something you seem to have already mastered."

"Why thank you for that, Remus. I will take any comparison to Harry's mother as a compliment. I don't know about mastering keeping these two in line though, Harry continually finds new ways to infuriate me, while Sirius will soon be Amelia's problem."

Remus couldn't help but laugh at that comeback and found himself being gently punched on the shoulder by Sirius. "What did I tell you, Moony - streets ahead of us at our best. If only I could get them interested in pranking..."

They were joined at that moment by Minerva. "I don't know that you were unsuccessful in those attempts, Sirius. These two, aided and abetted by the Minister of Magic, just pulled off the biggest prank I've ever seen. I've no doubt Albus' eyes would have been twinkling as he watched. Cornelius pulling that apprentice line out the air was something I didn't know he had in him. Hello Remus, so nice to see you again."

"You too, Professor - though I wish the circumstances were better."

"As do all of us, and it's Headmistress now. It's as headmistress I'd like to have a word with you, if you have the time?"

After hearing from Hermione that Remus had taught them defence for a year, Sirius was delighted at the prospect of his friend being offered a job. His smile though froze on his face as Minerva then turned her attention to him. "I'd like to speak with you too, Sirius. I realise that you have plans you'll need to make for you and Amelia's future but I hope we can work something out that's beneficial to everyone here."

As usual, Sirius tried to cover his shock with a joke. As usual, he was the only one who thought it was funny. "It's alright, Minerva, my favourite professor was always getting an invitation to our wedding."

Looking from Sirius to Amelia, Minerva let her own dry wit make a rare appearance. "There's still time to change your mind, Amelia..."

That her gag was better received than his own did nothing toward reinstating Sirius' smile. "Have we written those invitations yet, love?"

"We've been too busy, and I'll need to head to the ministry and question Barty."

"We'll need to head out too. We managed some cover and rearranged a few appointments but the Granger Dental Practice won't run itself. We'll see everyone again on Friday evening." After some farewell hugs, Dan, Emma and Amelia headed for the front gate while Minerva escorted Sirius and Remus to her office - something she hadn't had to do for a number of years.

Harry and Hermione set off for Gryffindor, thinking the might as well enjoy the relative peace just now. Things would change tomorrow when the papers hit Hogwarts.

-oOoOo-

Severus certainly knew things had changed. If the Prophet's front page picture of Potter and his mudblood, standing with Fawkes at Dumbledore's casket, didn't get that message across - their headline left no one in any doubt about how things now were.

The Leader of the Light is dead, long live the Leader of the Light

He didn't need to read any speeches or speculation about apprenticeships. With that one sentence, the witches and wizards of Britain had just bestowed the title of Leader of the Light onto a twelve year old boy. Thinking they were all crazy, Severus would have been dismayed to learn he now shared an opinion with James Potter's whelp.

His real ire though was reserved for an article deeper inside the newspaper. McGonagall had been confirmed as the new Headmistress, no shock there. No surprise either in her choice of deputy. Filius wouldn't want the job while Septima didn't have the experience, Pomona was always the clear favourite for the post. It was Minerva's other appointments that had Severus' blood boiling.

While she clearly wished to continue teaching, it wasn't really practical for the new Headmistress to have a full timetable. She'd solved this problem by having the bloody werewolf teach Transfiguration to the first three years worth of students. If that wasn't bad enough, that bastard Black would be in his dungeons teaching potions to the classes Dumbledore used to take. The real kick in the teeth though was appointing them both joint heads of Gryffindor. He was also willing to wager their partial timetables didn't overlap, allowing Black to cover for his furry friend on those awkward few days of the month Lupin became a deadly dark creature.

It wasn't so much the light's objectives that Severus couldn't accept, rather the personnel involved. Potter, Black and Lupin were the bane of his teenage life. They certainly played a part in half blood Severus Snape's decision to become a death eater. While he couldn't dispute change was all around him, some things were really too ingrained to be altered. Quite simply, whatever those three stood for, Severus would be on the other side.

History was repeating itself as those very same names once more saw him choosing the dark lord. Dumbledore had promised to keep Lily safe, he didn't. Promises were also made about him teaching in Hogwarts, and broken by Dumbledore because it suited the old bastard. Severus had made a promise to himself about Lily - that promise was now going to join the long list of broken promises in his life.

He would rest up and recuperate first, probably waiting until the new year to start looking for his master. He would still be keeping an eye on the situation in Britain, though continually seeing Potter being praised on the front pages of the newspapers would only harden his decision.

A/N This is now my second longest story, though Harry Crow is in no danger of being overtaken. No idea of the eventual length but I hope to have the next chapter out in two weeks. Since I haven't written one word of Chapter 26 yet, it really is hope rather than a promise. Good luck to everyone who is planning to celebrate the birthday of Scotland's favourite son by holding a Burns supper on Monday. You don't need me to tell you where this chapter title came from.


	26. A Powerful Curse

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 26 - A Powerful Curse**

They had deliberately held back on going down to breakfast this morning, not wanting to be sitting there when the newspapers were delivered. That everyone in the hall were gathered around those who had copies of today's newspapers was expected, Neville verbally pouncing on them as soon as they sat down was not.

"You two were Dumbledore's apprentices and didn't even tell me?"

It was Harry who tried to put an end to that story, amongst their friends at least, before it grew arms and legs. "Nev, the first we heard of that was when the Minister mentioned it in his speech yesterday. After spending last night looking up what an apprenticeship involved, neither Hermione nor I would have anything to do with one of those."

His intended instantly agreed. "You're basically signing control of your life away to someone else, becoming an indentured servant until your master thinks you've learned enough. No way will we be signing a contract like that - no matter who is offering it."

Parvati's answer of 'that's the way it's always been' left both Harry and Hermione shaking their heads.

"My mum and dad intend to cover this in their class later on in the year. In the muggle world you still pick your options like we do here, and then go on to higher exams while at school. After that though it's an entirely different matter. Assuming you worked hard enough to get the passes you needed, you would then start applying to universities that offered the course you wanted. Both my parents are dentists, a type of specialised healer dealing with teeth and your mouth. They attended university for five years, then worked almost as a trainee before becoming fully qualified."

"Before discovering I was a wizard I always fancied working in veterinarian medicine, healing animals."

Their conversation had of course drawn a lot of attention. That last remark from Harry though had left some of them flabbergasted.

"You're on the front page of the Prophet, being proclaimed the new 'Leader of the Light' and yet you want to be Hagrid? That's just …nuts!"

While Lavender's tone was one of disbelief, hearing his favourite phrase used against him had Harry almost choking. Trying to laugh while eating porridge is not recommended. As Hermione hit him on his back, Harry found Dean rushing to put the rest of those listening straight.

"Being a vet in the muggle world is a very highly respected position, and takes someone with brains to even take a shot at a career like that. As Hermione said, it's five hard years of university followed by on the job training. I'll be honest and say I don't think I've got the smarts - or the dedication - to pull something like that off."

His eyes may still be watering but Harry had his vocal cords back under control. "Thanks for that, Dean. Hermione and I also think it's unlikely every country has the same apprenticeship scheme as Britain. We intend to do some research on magical means of higher education, knowing that we also have the muggle system available too."

It was a puzzled Luna who probed further. "You would return to muggle education? What would you study there?"

A smiling Hermione answered that one. "We would have a vast and varied choice of courses - from astronomy to zoology, with all the other letters in-between being well represented too." Trying to personalise the discussion, and take some of the focus off them, she highlighted a few things Hermione knew their group of friends were interested in."There are courses on designing clothes, usually combined with art. Photography is another profession that you can study, as is journalism. By the way, Luna, we met your father yesterday."

This certainly switched their little blonde friend's attention from today's newspaper headlines. "How was he? What did he say?"

"He was chatting with us and my parents, just trying to get to know the people his daughter will be spending Christmas with."

Hermione wasn't for mentioning their friend's father seemed far more interested in the Hallows than Luna. Xeno wore his Hallows medallion to the funeral, claiming that Albus was a lifelong quester - and enquiring if the headmaster had left any information on his searches with his apprentices. Harry mentioning that these Hallows sounded like nothing more than stories for children had Xeno leaving in a huff, and left the rest of them biting their cheeks to stop laughing. With only her father's influence in her life, it was now easier for Hermione to see how the original Luna could have arrive at Hogwarts and be considered strange. If admiring Hermione Granger helped their friend become a more rounded person, it merely reinforced their opinion that yesterday's decision was the right one to make.

By the time the first bell sounded, most of their friends had moved onto a different subject than this morning's paper. Their first potions class with Sirius helped a good few more along the same track.

At the end of his class, again they delayed. This time however it was to speak with Sirius, rather than avoid anyone.

"That was quite the speech you two pulled off yesterday. Would you like to tell me why you shifted your position so radically?"

"We'll tell you and Amelia everything, just not here. What we wanted to talk to you about was defence training. I can teach Harry the spells, and neither of us are lacking magical power. What we are lacking is experience in magical fighting. We have our defence self study today and were hoping you could help us with that?"

"Of course I will. Remus is a defence specialist though…"

"…who couldn't fail to notice something wasn't right the instant we started casting." After cutting Sirius off, Harry further explained his reasoning. "I also need to start practicing with the wand Dumbledore gave me, not something we want known. I'm sorry Sirius, but neither of us are comfortable bringing anyone else into our group at the moment."

"Harry, Hermione must have told you that Remus can be trusted…"

"Actually Sirius, I agree with Harry. I thought I knew you, then you go and pull this wedding on us. We're very happy for you, and both of us really like Amelia, but it kinda proves our point. Things are so different this time around, my knowledge from before is becoming more and more useless. Let's give it some time for all of us to get to know this Remus again, then we can look at where we go from here. We like Remus but this is just too big to blurt out right after just meeting him again. After all, it took us months to tell you our secret."

A sighing Sirius consented. "Okay, I'm looking forward to teaching you two but not happy about hiding this from Remus. What am I supposed to say if he finds out?"

"What we need is somewhere we can't be found…"

With a light pop, Dobby appeared beside them with an answer to Harry's question. "Dobby has heard of a room that you can use, and not be found. The castle elves call it the come and go room…"

-oOoOo-

While all the students of a shocked Slytherin house had quietly read the news that morning, one had his gaze glued to the entrance doors instead. After having a long talk with his mother yesterday, Draco had expected today's Prophet to be full of Potter and his pet mudblood. What he didn't expect was the Gryffindor couple coming down late to breakfast and looking almost embarrassed at all the furore the Prophet had stirred up. There was no grand entrance, no basking in the notoriety of again being front page news. While his mother had gone to great lengths to explain that things were changing, and that they would have to at least appear to be changing as well, Potter's behaviour puzzled Draco.

Looking over toward the Gryffindor table, Draco's eyes were drawn to the closer Hufflepuff one. Sitting there was a perfect example of how much things had changed. The Weasley / Potter duo had been incredibly easy to rile, only luck had saved them being caught by Filtch in the excellent trap he'd set with that midnight duel ploy.

The Potter / Granger partnership though was a whole different animal, one that appeared to be at least two steps ahead of everyone since that troll ran amuck last Halloween. Weasley had loudly and publicly opposed the formation of that partnership, even taking steps to try and shatter the bond the couple clearly shared. That Weasley had gone from notoriety within Hogwarts to now being a total nonentity - a first year Puff to boot - graphically illustrated what could befall those who opposed Britain's new golden couple.

McGonagall had stood at dinner last night and announced that their potions lesson would now be taught by Potter's godfather, Lord Black. Draco knew his own godfather was now out of prison but there had been no contact between them since Severus got carted out of Hogwarts in irons by the aurors. With yet another supposed friend of the Potters, Professor Lupin, now teaching them transfiguration, this was simply more indicators of the startling changes his mother was warning him about.

Draco honestly didn't know if he could change that much. A mudblood Order of Merlin holder being praised on the front page of the wizarding press, and receiving plaudits from the Minister of Magic, was way beyond anything he thought acceptable for magical Britain. To please his mother though, Draco was sure he could at least play the part of one who was changing to suit the circumstances. His mother didn't want him going up against Potter, something that her son had already come to realise was not in his best interest. Every time since that Halloween he had done so, Draco had come off the worse. It was now time to be a Slytherin and wait to see what happened next.

With patience, he might actually figure out a way to get back at Potter - harming his pet mudblood would certainly do that. Doing so and not getting caught was always going to be the problem with that course of action but Draco could wait, and seeing him waiting would also get his mother off his back.

-oOoOo-

After spending half their time gawking at what this room could do, Sirius then put them to work. He wanted to see what level they were at, and what he needed to help them with. As usual, Hermione had been spot on with her assessment. They had the power and a wide range of spells at their command, they just had very little experience of how to use these assets in a fight.

The room actually provided them with sofas and refreshments after they finished, Sirius waited until the couple had at least sat and sipped their drinks before breaking the bad news to them.

"What you've been doing up until now gives us a solid foundation to build on, but there's a lot of building to do. While what you're doing here will easily be enough to see off any school fights against students, this won't do against death eaters or Voldemort. I understand you both holding back on your choice of spells and power, not wanting to hurt each other. That's a very bad habit to get into, and a hard one to break if you do. In a fight, you hit whoever is standing against you with everything you've got. Holding back could get both of you killed."

His godson nodding in agreement told Sirius they were all on the same page here. Harry's comments certainly lent credence to that point.

"We know that, Sirius, that's why we came to you for help. Hermione is a genius, and a brilliant teacher. She would be the first to admit though that she's no warrior. So, where do we go from here?" Sitting on the sofa the room had provide, Harry had his arm around Hermione - taking any and all sting out of his words.

"Well I know you both like your books. I'll speak with Ami and we'll work some kind of training program out for you. Is it okay to involve Ami in this?"

Hermione was all over that one. "Of course it is. She's going to soon be your wife, we don't want you to have secrets between you because of us. Apart from liking her very much, your fiancée has also trained aurors. We'd be really stupid not to want her involvement in this. We also need to get together for a talk on where we go next with our plans for defeating Voldemort."

Stupid was not something Sirius could see being associated with these two. "She'll be busy with the Crouch case for a while, the ministry are going for a quick trial. How about scheduling next weekend for a meeting, and I'll certainly get some books to you quicker than that. She might even send a couple of auror training manuals along. There's some stuff in them I'd like you to start with, and we'll then take it from there. Now I think we need to get down to dinner before questions start getting asked. The last thing we want to do is draw attention to this training."

With offers of help and at least a framework in place for moving forward, it was a much happier Harry and Hermione who headed toward the great hall for dinner.

-oOoOo-

They knew it would take something rather sensational to push the supposed new leaders of the light from the front pages of the papers. Thankfully, the following Saturday saw that happening. The trial of a top ministry official who had sneaked his death eater son from within Azkaban's secure clutches easily managed that task.

Barty Sr. had magically expanded the internal dimensions of a closet in his home, keeping his son a prisoner there by means of repeated use of the unforgivable imperius curse and watched over by their family's house elf.

The uproar Barty Jr.'s outing from the closet caused amongst Britain's witches and wizards had absolutely nothing to do with his sexual preferences. Compared to the fact that Barty Jr. was sentenced to life imprisonment in the secure wing of Azkaban, and was reported to have died there a decade ago, sexual preferences didn't rate a mention. Either father or son could have been photographed having sexual relations with the goat of their choice outside Buckingham Palace and it wouldn't have rated a mention when faced with the other facts of this case.

Barty Sr. might have been able to garner a smidgen of sympathy for how he came to be entrapped into this situation, a vow made to his dying wife. When, under truth serum questioning, Barty revealed he hated his son for costing him the chance of ever being Minister of Magic - any sympathy vanished almost as fast as free whisky at a Highland ceilidh. That a father could leave his only flesh and blood imperiused and locked in a windowless box hardened hearts and minds against the person who was already considered a callous, cold-hearted character. Details of him memory charming the few people who discovered his secret sealed both Crouches' fates.

The son's fate was actually never in any doubt. He'd already been tried, found guilty and then escaped from the prison he'd been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in. Barty Jr. was sentenced to be kissed by a dementor. His father would be spending the rest of his life residing in the same Azkaban cell he'd previously orchestrated his son's escape from.

That the young Gryffindor couple were being forgotten about for the moment pleased them greatly. Walking through the corridors, Harry and Hermione noticed someone who appeared just as happy. Susan's smile widened as she was greeted by them.

"Hi Susan, your aunt is really making a difference in cleaning up this country. First Malfoy, now Crouch..."

Although blushing, the pride Susan was feeling easily shone through her reddening cheeks. "Thanks, Harry. It shows that whether you're a death eater or ministry official, the law's the same for everyone. That's something auntie always prided herself on. Now the entire country can see that, with her in charge of magical law enforcement, that's what they're going to get."

Her blushing actually increased as Susan attempted to ask Harry something. "Although she's my auntie, she's really more like my mother. I was only a year old when death eaters murdered my parents and auntie stepped in to raise me. What I was wondering, with auntie marrying Sirius - and you both knowing him better than me - him teaching in Hogwarts will help..."

Hermione was sure she knew where the girl was going with this but Susan was tying herself in knots trying to ask her question. "Just ask, Susan. You know we'll help you any way we can."

With her head down, Susan blurted out the question she was desperate to know the answer to. "When Sirius marries auntie, do you think he'll want to be my uncle?"

Hermione loved her more mature, more confident Harry. He used both of those qualities as he stepped forward and embraced Susan in a hug.

"I'm certain he would love nothing more than for you to think of him as that. With me being his godson, this wedding will make us family too. If I get an auntie and a sister out of it, then I might be just as happy as Sirius at the wedding."

Still held in Harry's arms, a trembling Susan lifted her head and gazed into the greenest pair of eyes she'd ever seen. Unsure whether she had actually heard Harry correctly, Susan whispered that magical word back at him. "Sister?"

Smiling and kissing her forehead, Harry spoke from the heart. "When Sirius and Amelia officially become married, I think sister best describes the way I feel about you. Are you okay with that?"

By way of an answer, an excited little squeal was mostly muffled by her hugging Harry tighter than she thought possible. It took a moment for Susan to get her thoughts back in order, she was standing in a corridor hugging Harry Potter after all. Remembering who else was in that corridor had Susan finding her voice. "I always wanted a brother or sister, now I'm getting both. Thanks, Harry - you too Hermione."

Embracing Harry and her new pseudo sibling, Hermione jokingly enquirer if Susan understood what she was letting herself in for. "Are you sure about this, Susan? Being attached to Harry Potter comes with it's own health warning, and can you imagine the glares any potential boyfriend of yours is going to receive?"

Playing along with Hermione's jokey theme, Harry also kept it very light. "My sister will have the crests of houses Bones, Black and Potter on her robes. Anyone messing with her is going to be in more trouble than they know how to handle."

Laughing along with them, Susan was still blushing as she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "Who can say no to those green eyes. I don't know how you manage it, Hermione."

"Who says I do?" Hermione's flippant comment seemed to suck all the air out of the corridor for an instant before it was replaced by loud laughter. Hermione was laughing at the two shocked expressions facing her while Susan thought she'd just been had.

Changing the subject, Hermione mentioned something that had been on her mind since spotting today's paper. "Harry, we really need to spend some time with Neville today, the news about Barty Crouch Jr. will have shocked him to the core. Susan, you want to come along?"

"Oh I'd love to. I'll need to let Hannah know first though, we Puffs tend to look out for one another. She would have me posted missing and the search parties out before dinner time."

"Harry will do it, he's been dying to try this out anyway."

The witch in question was sitting inside the Hufflepuff common room chatting to Ernie when she suddenly found herself the centre of attention for everyone there. That wasn't exactly true though, the ghostly stag that had just passed through the wall had every pair of eyes currently in the common room fixed on it. When the stag began to speak to Hannah in Harry Potter's voice, no one was quite sure what to make of this.

"Hi Hannah, just to let you know that Susan's fine, and will be spending some time with me and Hermione." That Susan's giggles could clearly be heard along with Harry's message raised more than a few eyebrows.

The stag fading into nothing restarted all the conversations that its appearance had halted, only this time all those conversations were centred around what had just happened. Leaving his chess game, Ron stormed out of the common room. He so wanted to loudly rant and rave about Potter bloody showing off again but had learned behaviour like that didn't go down too well in his new house. Sometimes Puffs were just too bloody sweet to be wholesome for the former Gryffindor.

The Puff walking along the corridor with the Gryffindor couple was still giggling. "Harry, have you any idea the interrogation that will be waiting on me when I get back to my common room after that message of yours? Hannah will be putting at least a dozen different slants on that short sentence."

"Just imagine the fun you can have by saying you were with your brother and sister." Harry's reply brought on even more giggles from the bubbly girl. Susan entered the Gryffindor common room between Harry and Hermione, and no one even commented on this highly unusual occurrence.

Hermione quickly spotted the person they were looking for, and she was actually pleased to see Parvati almost glued to Neville's side. "Hi Nev, we're taking Susan up to our rooms for a chat. You and Parvati would be more than welcome to join us."

Neville was still taking his relationship with Parvati slowly, thus didn't want her running about their room whenever she felt like it. He was more than happy to have Parvati there along with Harry and Hermione however. He'd been sitting in the common room feeling like shit but didn't want to disappear up the stairs himself - nor take Parvati with him. He jumped at the chance however of joining his friends, Neville was now also happy for his girlfriend to come with him. Taking Parvati by the hand, he followed the other three up the stairs.

Entering the room, they all took seats while butterbeer and some snacks appeared on the table.

Looking around the room, and checking out the amazing views through the large windows, a clearly impressed Susan let out a low whistle. "If this is how the Gryffindors live, I think I want a transfer."

Sitting cuddling into Neville, Parvati put the Hufflepuff straight. "Oh it's only these three that live like this. These rooms were McGonagall's bargaining chip to keep these three in Gryffindor. Then again, I think they earned them." She was supporting her boyfriend as best she could but Parvati was also curious. "So Susan, what brings you into the Lions' Den?"

"Just visiting my brother and sister..."

This perked Neville up. "Of course, Sirius marrying your aunt. Are you going for siblings?"

"That's what Harry offered, and what I always wanted."

"Me too, though that's something I never thought about. Gaining siblings due to a wedding..."

"I've got a sister you could share..."

Neville smiled at his girlfriend before another thought had him bursting into laughter. Seeing his girlfriend's hurt expression, he immediately explained his actions. "Sorry about that, I certainly wasn't laughing at you or Padma. I just had the crazy thought enter my head that whoever marries Ginny Weasley also inherits six older brothers."

This had all of them laughing, and started Neville down the road of leaving his grade one funk behind. Sitting having fun with his friends and girlfriend was just what he needed to get over the fact that one of the people who had tortured his parents managed to escape from Azkaban. That Crouch Jr. had been caught and would now never harm anyone ever again was helping him relax, as was the company he was currently in.

They even had dinner brought to their room, Harry and Hermione only leaving when it was time to take Susan back to Hufflepuff before curfew. As they left, a now smiling Neville thanked them for keeping him company today. He then went on to thank Parvati rather more personally as she wasn't allowed up here after curfew.

As Susan had expected, there was a welcoming committee waiting for her as they approached Hufflepuff. Playing to the crowd, she hugged Harry and Hermione - thanking them for a wonderful day. Both had trouble holding their laughter in as Susan winked at them, her housemates would certainly have a few questions for her.

Walking back to Gryffindor, Hermione had Harry's arm and lent her head on his shoulder. "I actually enjoyed that today. It's so tempting just to be twelve and thirteen."

"Only for a while, love. I really can't wait until we're older. Also days like today are only possible because Voldemort doesn't currently have a body. We need to stop him getting one, so everyone can have a lot more days like that."

A certain someone was listening, deciding that it was time to help.

-oOoOo-

When the kitchen of Hogwarts was full of elves, the place was normally a hive of activity. Tonight not one of them moved, they were all too busy staring at the two house elves standing side by side on the table.

"You all know our family, and that family has vowed to fight the dark one."

Both elves standing there in probably the finest robes ever worn by a house elf was a massive clue who these elves belonged to. The Potter and Black house crests worn on the chest of those fine robes put any doubt to bed.

"As good house elves, Dobby and Darla will protect their family. Our family knows why dark one won't stay dead, house elves have helped our family find these sick and evil things the dark one made. With every one we find, the dark one grows nearer his end."

"A Black house elf had one that killed his former master, Kreacher watched as Dumbledore destroyed it. Dobby and Darla helped their family find one more, Dumbledore destroyed that one too. It was another one of these that killed the Headmaster, but not before he destroyed it. Our family will now destroy any that are left, but we need to find them first. Dobby and Darla are asking for your help to do this."

The oldest elf in the castle shuffled forward and asked a question. "What are you asking us to do, young one? Like you, we too have bonds that we must live by."

Bowing to the old elf, Dobby signalled to Darla to offer the diary. "Respected elder, be it Hogwarts or a home - no one knows what goes on in that building better than a house elf. This book once held the taint of the dark one, it has been removed. If any elf has felt a taint like this before, or feels one later, we ask only to be told. We all know there are ways around instructions and bonds, if we wish it to be so..."

This started murmurings which, for house elves, was practically a riot. Dobby cut right across those murmurings, the powerful young elf being an imposing figure to those gathered. His words also had the ring of truth that couldn't be disputed.

"The dark one and his followers treated us worse than vermin, who wants to go back to those days? The young wizard and witch that stood at the Headmaster's burial and promised to stand against the dark one call Dobby and Darla family - they call Dobby and Darla friend. Dobby would give his life to help them defeat the dark one, so they could then go on to make lots of little Potters."

Dobby had tears running down his cheeks as he proudly stood wearing his family's crests on his robes, waiting to see if anyone doubted his word. Darla handed the diary to the ancient house elf before standing beside Dobby. She'd watched as all the female elves had eyed Dobby up, She now stood beside him.

"Darla would also give her life for her family. Darla's new family got her away from the Malfoys, and bad former master is now on the island of the soul suckers."

The shiver that went through the other elves wasn't just because Darla mentioned dementors. The diary was getting passed around, with no elf holding the disgusting thing for more than a few seconds.

The oldest elf was rubbing his hands up and down his pillowcase, as if to try and remove the taint. "Never has Pappy felt such evil, such wrongness - this should not exist. These things must be destroyed. Any Hogwarts elf feeling such a taint will inform Pappy, Pappy will call for Dobby or Darla. Hogwarts elves will spend any free time from their duties scouring the castle from top to bottom, we don't want one of these in our home. Your family is really powerful wizards and witches if they can destroy these."

Having now achieved what they'd asked for, Dobby and Darla began to relax. Dobby also gladly accepted the opportunity to talk about his family. "Dobby watched as his family destroyed the dark one's host, Quirrell, before chasing the spirit of the dark one from the castle with a curse."

This really impressed all those listening. As the diary was passed back to Darla, Pappy asked a question. After all, it was their duty to protect Hogwarts.

"What was this curse that chased the dark one out of the castle? Could an elf cast it?"

"Harry Potter used the 'fuck off' curse, before his golden animal pushed the dark one's spirit away. Dobby doesn't know if an elf could cast it, but it worked really well. Perhaps Dobby and Darla should ask their family to teach them this curse. If elves could use it, the dark one would no longer be feared."

This time the murmur that went around the room was one of anticipation, and appreciation. Even the mere thought of a defence against the dark one had them excited, and ready to search for items that had the dark one's disgusting taint.

-oOoOo-

As things quickly got back into the routine of classes, homework, looking forward to the next quidditch match and then the Christmas Holidays, Hogwarts began to settle down to its new normal. With one thing and another keeping getting in the way, it actually took another two weeks before all the family was gathered in the Grangers' quarters for their meeting.

When Dobby explained how the meeting with the castle's elves had gone, Sirius was on the floor with laughter. There was no laughter coming from the Granger girls, Hermione's tone was stern as she stared at her intended.

"Harry Potter, no child of mine will be using language like that. So their daddy better start practicing not using it now, then he'll have mastered it by the time they come along. Dobby, Harry will also explain to you those are not magical curse words, they are not a spell. No one is laughing at you, it's just the misuse of those words some uncouth people find funny..."

Sirius was climbing back into his seat, the loud laughter now somewhat under control. He was still sniggering at his godson though as Harry led Dobby off to a corner for a quiet word.

Harry was thinking he'd gotten off lightly, considering he didn't have to explain this to Darla as well. He really should have known better as Dobby just broadcast the gist of what he'd said to the entire room.

"You told the dark one to leave Hogwarts and perform a sex act on himself? Harry Potter is indeed a great wizard."

With both elves now looking at Harry in awe, and his shocked expression to their reaction, Sirius was back on the floor. Dan may have stayed in his seat but he was laughing just as loudly as the marauder. As Harry looked around the room for help, Amelia lost her battle for control and started laughing too. Seeing her mother beginning to crack, Hermione rose and approached the lost pair in the corner.

Putting her arm around her intended, Hermione tried to explain. "Dobby, when Harry gets angry, he says things that shouldn't be repeated in polite company. The muggle world calls these curse words, and using them is called swearing. I can see how this could be confusing but there is no magic involved or summoned by using them. They are merely insults, used to relieve the stress of the person saying them. Do you understand?"

"Dobby thinks so. Like telling another elf they need to go and wash their pillowcases?"

"Dobby Potter!"

This rebuke being shrieked by Darla indicated to the rest of them Dobby now probably had the gist of swearing. Emma tried to get the meeting back on track.

"So the castle's elves will check Hogwarts for any more of these. Where does that leave us?"

"Unless we get lucky, all it will tell us is the castle is safe. Then again, the elves won't have access to the chamber of secrets - Tom Riddle clearly did. If he hid one down there, only Harry can open it. Neither of my Harry's are prone to exaggeration. When Harry told me the basilisk down there was humongous and terrifying - I not only believed him but never wanted proof."

Mulling all that information over, there was only one conclusion Harry could come to. "It makes sense for one to be down there. It's called the chamber of secrets for a reason - no one knows where it is. Add to that you need to be a parselmouth to open the chamber, and it's protected by one of the most deadly creatures on the planet - why would he not put one down there?"

"Just the thought of that place has a shiver of dread running down my spine, but I can't disagree with a word of that. Let's leave discussing the chamber until the rest of the school has been searched. Having to go down there will be a last resort..." Hermione found herself being interrupted by her mother.

"I thought fighting Voldemort was your last resort? How many last resorts do you have, and how many don't your father and me know about?"

"Mum, we're training to fight in case we have to - not because we want to fight this nutter. It's always better to have skills and not need them, rather than things being the opposite way around." Hermione rolling her eyes like a thirteen year old didn't help their case, or do anything to ease Emma's worries. Knowing this was something both Emma and Dan strongly objected to, the idea of them fighting rather than the training, Harry moved the meeting on.

"I think we're all agreed that any family dark enough for Voldemort to entrust with one of his horcruxes is unlikely to have a house elf willing to help us. If they tell their master what we're looking for then our chances of getting our hands on it drop drastically. I think it's time to call Albus and see if he has any information that helps us go forward with this."

After witnessing James and Lily's appearance amongst them, the group were somewhat prepared for Albus' return - though none of them thought they would ever reach the stage where this would become routine.

A smiling Albus soon greeted them. "Hello everyone. I'm glad to see you took my advice, adding Sirius and Amelia to the group will surely help with this task. I would also like to thank Harry and Hermione for that lovely eulogy…"

"You were there?" It was only after she said the words, Hermione realised how stupid that sounded.

It actually put grins on everyone's faces, and helped bring things to an almost normal level. Like the Potters though, Albus had no more information on any locations of horcruxes. He did have an idea however, and even a plan to take that idea forward.

"We are working on the assumption that, since Voldemort trusted one of them to Malfoy, he might have done the same with another of his followers. I also agree with the point made earlier, that we can't trust any approach to a dark family's house elf wouldn't backfire on us. There is another option - what if it wasn't hidden in their house?'

It was actually Amelia who guessed where Albus was going with this. "Of course, it could be locked in their family vault in Gringotts."

"Yes, and Harry's speech at my funeral was very well received by the goblin contingent that was present. An approach to Gringotts from the ministry would almost instantly be rejected. A personal appeal from the person who just swore to stand against the dark lord has a far greater chance of succeeding. It will be turning that request around to show the goblins how this could benefit them that will be the key to achieving their assistance. We can provide a method of destroying any horcrux they find, without even taking the item out of the vault it's secured in."

It was Dan who asked what he thought was actually a stupid question. "Surely it is in everyone's interest to see this monster destroyed? Will the goblins support him if he returns?"

"From our point of view, there really is no thought necessary - Voldemort needs to be stopped. When dealing with other species and cultures, one always needs to remember their views on any given situation will almost certainly differ from ours. It's all about finding the common ground, the points we agree on, and then taking things forward from there. Dobby and Darla's presentation to the Hogwarts house elves was devastatingly effective, gaining their complete support. Getting the goblins to scan vaults may be a harder nut to crack but I can't help thinking a witch or wizard would believe their Gringotts vault would be safer than their house."

This saw an audible groan coming from Harry. "I suppose we should have expected things like this to come our way, after being promoted to 'leaders of the light'. Dobby and Darla are certainly coming to Gringotts with us - though no cursing allowed."

This put the grins back but Hermione was looking a little further ahead. "Augusta's Christmas Ball will now be a nightmare…"

"Not if I'm on the dance floor with you the entire night." Both liked that idea, then Albus threw something special into the mix.

"Your parents are really looking forward to talking with you over the Christmas holidays."

Knowing he had that spectacular event to look forward to, neither discussions with the goblins nor the thought of all the people who would be trying to buttonhole him at the ball could affect the grin Harry now wore.

Hermione asking Albus if he could tell them any more about Harry being 'Master of Death' saw Albus' expression instantly change. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I have been expressly forbidden about discussing that topic. Anyone Harry calls will be under the same restriction. I'm in Death's realm now, I can't disobey that order - even to the 'Master of Death'."

While that introduced a bit of a downer to the meeting, they at least now had some plans for moving forward. The castle's elves would search Hogwarts and Sirius would approach Gringotts to hopefully arrange a meeting for Harry during the holidays. Harry and Hermione meanwhile would continue with their new defence lessons. Hoping for the best - but preparing for the worst.

They did have to promise Emma and Dan that they wouldn't go searching in the chamber of secrets without sitting down and discussing it with the group first. Since neither Harry nor Hermione wanted to go anywhere near the chamber, they were more than happy to give their word on that.

After the meeting broke up, Sirius and Amelia escorted both Gryffindors back to their dorm - just making curfew. They had barely said goodbye when Remus appeared, obviously patrolling the corridors.

"Hey Moony, no rest for the wicked. Can I have a word?"

Amelia gave Sirius' arm a squeeze and told her fiancé she would wait at the entrance hall for him. Once she had gone, Sirius got right down to business.

"I wanted to ask if you would be best man at my wedding?"

This question did not get the reaction Sirius was expecting. "Why me? I thought you would have asked Harry. Did he turn you down?"

"You're my best friend, why wouldn't I ask you? And Harry would never turn me down…"

"Yeah, a best friend who you like to keep in the dark. I thought we were marauders? Didn't you get a bellyful of keeping secrets from your supposed best friend? I thought you would have realised by now where keeping secrets can lead?"

A shocked Sirius took a step back, before the Black temper asserted itself. "The marauders - yeah we were a shit hot bunch. One murdered, one unjustly imprisoned, one hiding as a rat while the fourth just disappeared off the face of the planet. What I learned from that experience is the problem doesn't lie with the secrets you're keeping, it's who you tell those secrets to that causes the grief. You're my best friend, no question about that. The people I was with tonight however - they're my family. It's taken me my entire life to find a family I can be proud to be a part of, nothing and no-one is more important to me than that family."

Remus was getting angry too though, he'd hardly seen Sirius since starting working in the castle. You didn't have to be a genius to work out Sirius was far closer to the people he had been with tonight than his oldest friend. That Remus also appeared to be getting deliberately excluded from this group was what really hurt, and brought his temper into play as well.

"You talk of family, yet are marrying a witch who's probably too old to provide you with one…"

Remus never said anymore, Sirius' fist connecting with his mouth put a stop to anything else he might have said. The rage Sirius had put into that blow would have knocked a normal wizard unconscious. Even although Remus was a werewolf, the blow still landed him on his arse. He looked up into the furious eyes of his best friend, a best friend whose wand was now trained on him.

"You sanctimonious, sorry-arsed excuse of a friend. You've had a hard life - big deal! Stop with the pity parties and start making the best of what you've got. Talk about Ami like that again and you'll get far more than a punch in the mouth."

A couple of deep breaths brought Sirius somewhat under control. While still very angry, at least he wasn't about to start firing curses.

"Forget about being best man, Harry will stand with me. My godson is twelve, got me set free from Azkaban, yet not only understands that Ami is the most important person in my life - he insists that's the way it has to be. Compare your actions to that twelve year old boy's, Professor Lupin, then ask yourself who is right. Here's a big clue, it's not you!"

With that, Sirius stormed away. His best friend lay on the cold stone floor, neither marauder knowing whether their friendship was left lying there too.

Amelia missed nothing, a sometimes lifesaving byproduct of being an auror for so many years. While she didn't need those enhanced powers of observation to determine Sirius was angry, spotting his skinned knuckles as he hugged her helped paint the picture of what had happened after she left.

"Do I take it Harry is now best man?"

"The one thing my godson and I have in common is that we both love scarily smart women. Hermione was right, we've all changed..."

"My fiancé has certainly changed, which is why I said yes when he asked me. Remus is back at Hogwarts, and perhaps expected things to go back to the way they used to be. You are his only friend..."

"Yet he can't be happy for me? Sorry but I'd rather spend my nights with you, rather than sitting in some old castle reminiscing about my teenage years. The next move is his to make, it will also decide whether we still have a friendship."

Amelia healed his hand, before taking it in one of her own as they walked from the castle to the edge of the wards.


	27. It Is Our Choices

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 27 - It Is Our Choices...**

The incredible roaring assault on their eardrums wasn't the only thing terrifying the Hogwarts students, they were watching the impossible happen right before their eyes. As the mighty metal beast appeared to be thundering to its doom, the nose lifted and the brightly coloured hulking brute unbelievably became airborne. Something that seemed so ungainly while on the ground now looked totally different in the environment it was clearly designed for.

They were finding it hard to believe a machine that looked about the size of at least six knight busses, though held far more passengers, had just shot into the air and was now rapidly disappearing from sight at a speed no broom could hope to match.

Professor Dan Granger was telling them that the aircraft they had just watched taking off was by no means the largest available, or the fastest. Explaining the difference between short and long haul flights, and focusing on the economic reasons why different sized aircraft were used for each, had them again questioning their sanity. How could anything much bigger than what they'd just watched still be able to fly. Standing in the public viewing area of Aberdeen airport, the three muggle professors were finally being believed by their students. Not even Draco Malfoy could dispute something he'd just witnessed for himself.

These children were used to travelling from King's Cross to Hogsmeade station to reach Hogwarts. Watching the organisation needed however for all these people checking in, their luggage being taken away - and put on the correct plane, was impressive. They had of course seen the large information displays in King's Cross, they also had paid no attention to them whatsoever. The Hogwarts Express left King's Cross from the same platform, on the exact same date and time, and had done so for many generations. They had no need of information displays inside the station. Here however were displayed essential details for passengers travelling to all different parts of the world.

A helicopter arriving on a different flightpath to the plane and landing in the centre of a clearly marked area was also impressive, as was the explanation of just what was happening here. These children all flew brooms and clearly saw the advantages of the helicopter's much greater manoeuvrability, especially not needing a long runway for takeoffs and landings. A helicopter could easily land on Hogwarts quidditch pitch while there probably wasn't a big enough piece of flat ground that a passenger jet could land on within miles of the castle - it was the Scottish Highlands after all. Just the thought that one of these large flying contraptions, with rotor blades instead of wings, could land on platforms built by muggles out in the middle of the North Sea was mind-blowing.

Hearing that the bright orange clothing worn by the people getting off the helicopter were survival suits, a precaution in case the helicopter went down in the very cold sea, gave them all some idea of just how dangerous these people's jobs were. The impressed students trooped back onto the coach for the next part of their trip, a visit to the city of Aberdeen.

Hugh McDade was a muggle whose daughter was a fifth year Hufflepuff, and his son would be heading off to Hogwarts with his big sister come September. Hearing from his daughter of the school's new program that would enable both him and his wife to visit Hogwarts when Sam became a first year was certainly something they wanted to be part of. News of a planned trip into the muggle world saw Hugh contacting Hogwarts to offer his support - and free use of one of his coaches.

That McDade Coach Hire was based in Aberdeen saw that city being chosen for their visit. Phone calls between Hugh and the three professors involved soon had an itinerary worked out. The Hogwarts contingent had portkeyed into the empty McDade bus garage before boarding one of his coaches and heading for their first stop - Aberdeen airport.

Hugh was now giving commentary on the coach's PA system as they drove through Aberdeen. It had been arranged beforehand that he would park the coach where they had a good view of the large and busy harbour. They could all see multiple ships being loaded with equipment and supplies to take out to the oil platforms. The biggest ship in the harbour though was the massive ferry that took passengers, their cars and also vital supplies for the islanders who lived in the Shetland Isles. Again the organisation required and sheer scale involved in what they were witnessing here was staggering to those not raised in this environment.

Taking the microphone from Hugh, Emma went on to explain why what they were watching taking place in this harbour was so important to the entire country.

"Remember we told you that non magical people use all different forms of energy to achieve things you can accomplish using your magic? Crude oil is one of our biggest sources of those energies. The coach we are all currently sitting in has an engine that is powered by products refined from crude oil - as do the plane and helicopter we saw at the airport. Everything inside the airport building was powered by electricity, mostly produced by burning gas or oil in specialised power stations. When the crude oil is refined however, it provides us with so much more. Plastics, pharmaceuticals, the list is practically endless. Crude oil is sometimes called black gold, and any country that has reserves of this black gold can count themselves very lucky."

Linking oil and gold helped with getting its importance across to all their students. Anyone owning a gold mine would certainly be considered lucky. The purebloods were also well aquatinted with the principle of using their gold to get whatever they wanted. Since equating gold to power was understood by all of them, it suddenly wasn't such a leap to do the same with oil. Whether they got the literal transformation of oil to supplying electrical or mechanical power would be dealt with at a later date in class.

As the coach was passing the magnificent Marischal College building, Hugh explained that the University of Aberdeen had now moved to a new campus - the four hundred year old building no longer being able to meet their needs. The coach pulling up outside an indoor shopping centre had the students far more excited than some old building. They had been covering muggle money in class and it was now time to put those lessons to work. They were allowed to look around the shops for an hour, before meeting in the food court for lunch. There they would have to chose what they wanted for lunch, order and pay for it from the cash they had been supplied with.

With Christmas now being only a couple of weeks away, the centre and all of its shops were of course decorated to celebrate the festive season. Dan, Emma and Petunia would all be patrolling the shopping centre, available for any of their students who needed questions answered. With Sirius, Amelia, Augusta and Hugh all present too, they hoped that all areas of the centre were covered. It was still a relieved group of adults whose headcount later confirmed that every one their students were now sitting down and excitedly eating lunch.

Hermione, Harry, Neville and their friends knew exactly how much was riding on this outing today. Rather than try to lead the rest of the students however, they had made the conscious decision to do the exact opposite. They hung back, waiting to see where everyone else went, and simply made themselves approachable for anyone who wanted to ask any questions on what they were seeing. The students were far more likely to ask a fellow student a question, rather than approaching one of the adults/professors.

While Parvati adored shopping in muggle stores, she remained firmly on Neville's arm. Her being able to answer some of the questions being asked by their fellow students also added a bit more authority to those answers. Padma and Susan were also part of their group, purebloods being able to answer questions on muggle shopping really impressed those asking them. Since the girls had all been promised a day's shopping in London during the holidays, they were content to just window-shop today. It was like being a prefect and on duty, something they all got a kick out of.

Getting everyone back on the coach after lunch was met with a few moans and groans, that all stopped when they discovered their next destination. Even amongst the muggleborn, only a couple of them had been ten pin bowling before. Sirius announced there would be prizes for the first person to bowl a strike, highest score of the day and a few others that had everyone laughing. No one wanted the dubious honour of being the first bowler to slip and land on their bum.

They were spit into groups of four students to a lane, with the highest group score also earning a prize. After collecting their shoes, and some instructions by the staff that had been arranged beforehand, they were let loose on the lanes. There was at least one adult looking over two lanes of four bowlers so the chances of any trouble starting was nil.

Draco wondered if it had been deliberately arranged that most groups contained a member of each house. Since his group was being watched over by Lord Black, he wasn't going to be saying anything. Once the drinks and snacks arrived, he actually found himself really enjoying the experience. The Gryffindor, Thomas, had obviously done this before and easily led the group. Sirius mentioning that their group was currently in the lead saw Dean being encouraged to keep his high scoring up.

Their group did indeed win, and received small trophies and loads of muggle sweets. They also had to play a challenge match against Sirius, Augusta, Emma and their coach driver, Hugh.

It was a very strange experience for Draco, standing up there to take his shot with most of his year group cheering him on. It soon became apparent why the professors had included the coach driver in their group, he was very good. Cries of 'ringer' were mostly in fun, since the other three were so bad it looked a good bet the student team would still win.

Arriving back on the coach, with all the students high after their team did indeed win the bowling match, loads of muggle sweets were being passed out to those unlucky enough not to win any of the bowling prizes. Since darkness had now fallen, the coach headed down a Union Street decorated to celebrate Christmas.

While everyone on the coach, apart from Hugh, had at least seen the Hogwarts great hall decorated for Christmas - these decorations had been erected and were now run entirely without magic. As they admired the decorations, though still thought Hogwarts' were better, there was now at least a grudging respect for the ingenuity and effort involved in the manufacturing and placing of them without magic being involved. Achieving that feat alone would see Dan, Emma and Petunia regard today as a tremendous success.

Only after their portkey had dropped the thrice counted students outside the gates of Hogwarts did the adults involved finally relax. As the students hurried into the castle, Petunia summed up the adults' feelings with one sentence. "I thoroughly enjoyed that, but I am now so knackered."

She found herself receiving a one armed hug from her nephew, Harry's other arm being around Hermione's waist. "I am so proud of what you achieved today. They not only learned a lot, they had fun doing so. Seeing that today gave everyone a glimpse of what the future could be, and I'm not talking about Augusta Longbottom bowling."

The lady in question actually put her arm around her grandson as she answered that. "I actually had fun today too. Like Petunia though, I'm ready for my dinner and an early night. Don't think we didn't notice what you six were up to either, you probably answered more questions than we did. I honestly don't think today could have gone any better, and this gives me that little bit more leverage when attempting to arrange a trip into the magical world. The Minister and ministry won't want the muggle world to be seen to be better than us. They will certainly help arrange another trip in the magical world - and probably even pay for it too. I will see all of you tomorrow, enjoy the remainder of your Sunday."

Sirius and Amelia were also heading home, leaving the trio of professors to escort the last six students into the castle. There would just be time to drop their coats off before heading to dinner. As Harry was right beside her, Petunia gave her nephew the news Dudley had asked her to pass on.

"Dudley is not going to make Sirius and Amelia's wedding. He has a girlfriend, and been asked to spend that day with Amanda and her family. She'll be staying with us while you're at Privet Drive, you'll get to meet her then. With Luna staying too, you and Dudley might have to share a room for a couple of nights."

Harry had no bother with that, his attention was on someone else. Susan had clearly heard that news yet was smiling, Harry enquiring if she was okay brought a surprise.

"Dudley and me are just friends. I actually knew he fancied Amanda, he was looking for advice on how to ask her out. Looks like he took my advice." Padma was nodding too, confirming she was aware of this.

While pleased, Harry was also puzzled. "Why didn't he ask me, or Hermione? This is the first we've heard of this…"

This set Neville off laughing. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you two are the last people to ask for help with that. I still remember what Hermione told me when I asked how she knew you were the right one for her - 'any boy who would jump onto a troll's back to save you is a keeper'. That was a lot of help…not!"

With Neville still chuckling away, no one took any offence at his remark. Parvati was certainly going to be asking him about it later though.

-oOoOo-

Dinner that night in the great hall was a lively affair as all the second years' were more than happy to tell anyone asking about their grand adventure today.

At the staff table, Minerva was actually smiling, while the three professors responsible for today's unprecedented outing appeared more relieved it was over than anything else. Dan soon found himself being asked a rather awkward question by another professor.

"Excuse me for asking, Dan, but was I deliberately excluded from accompanying your trip today? As a Hogwarts professor who has lived and worked in the muggle world, I was expecting to be asked to go with you and the students."

"No one was excluded from today, Remus. We met you for the first time about six weeks ago, with Emma and I only spending about three of those six weekends in Hogwarts. None of us were aware you had a background like that…"

"Sirius did."

"That's neither here nor there, since Sirius wasn't involved in organising today. Both he and Amelia have a decent understanding of our world and volunteered, purely so they could spend the day with Susan, Harry and Hermione. We were glad to have them. To be honest, Emma and I only took this entire professor thing on so we could spend more time with the kids. Coming up here every weekend soon proved impractical but we still try for every second."

This didn't seem to satisfy Remus, and Dan was sure he knew what the problem was. "I know you and Sirius had an argument, but that's all I know. Harry wanted the details, since Sirius asked him to be his best man. As I said, I don't know what happened and that argument played no part in you not being in Aberdeen today. What I will say is that Harry was really angry when he heard what happened, immediately telling Sirius he would be proud to be by his side at the wedding."

Again, these were words Remus didn't want to hear but Dan then went even further. "I've only known Sirius since he was released from Azkaban but he's certainly someone I would call a friend. With my daughter seemingly determined never to let his godson get away from her, I will in all probability one day call him family. Even in the short time I've known him however, I would have to say his getting together with Amelia has been very good for him - for both of them actually. If you can't accept that, then you did the right thing in saying you wouldn't be his best man. If it's something you feel so strongly about, then I suppose it could be worth losing your best friend over."

There was then steel in Dan's voice as he ensured Remus knew exactly what he now meant. "Any choice between a friend and the woman I love is no choice at all for me, It's Emma every time. It pleases me more than I can say that Harry is the exact same with my daughter. When this dark lord everyone is so terrified of threatened our Hermione, Harry punched the head off that same dark lord. Amelia showed me her memory of having to pull Harry off Voldemort, I don't think I've ever been prouder in my life - including watching them receive Orders off Merlin, First Class. In any choice between you and Amelia, Sirius is always going to choose the woman who'll soon be his wife. I have no idea what went on between you, or whether it's recoverable. I would say that you missing their wedding entirely would pretty much hammer the final nail into the coffin of that friendship. I would also say the next move is yours to make."

The slump in the professor's shoulders gave Dan his answer before Remus actually spoke. "I know you're right, Dan, but it's difficult…"

"Remus, you're talking to someone who had McGonagall turn up at his door and blow his entire safe little world apart. 'Your daughter's a witch' is not a phrase I ever thought I would hear. Emma and I had a very difficult choice to make. To be honest, those choices have never stopped coming at us - and they certainly don't get any easier. Through all this though, we never lost sight of the fact Hermione is our daughter. The most important thing to us is Hermione, and how we can give her the best future possible. We are now juggling our practice, our lives back in Crawley, producing lessons for the classes we teach here every Monday and trying to spend as much time with Hermione and Harry as possible."

Taking a deep breath, Dan calmed himself before continuing. "Sorry for unloading on you like that - today must have wound me up more than I thought. Hermione hugging us and saying how proud she was certainly made the whole thing worthwhile. Seeing her sitting there, obviously happy and surrounded by her friends, that's what keeps Emma and I going. Life has a way of kicking you in the teeth, trolls and dark lords instantly come to mind, it's how you react to that kick which makes us who we are. Sirius spent over a decade in Azkaban, that's enough to finish anyone off. Instead, he got right back up and pursued his relationships with Harry and Amelia. He obviously wanted you back in his life too, but that's something you are going to have to sort out for yourselves. Neither Emma nor I can help, and I wouldn't advise approaching either of the kids. Both of them already love Sirius, have fully accepted Amelia and are already treating Susan as their sister."

Remus was left shaking his head. "I've really messed up…"

"I don't think you want me to answer that. You also know what you need to do next."

"Yeah, except Sirius might use his wand on me next time."

"Amelia says Sirius has changed, 'finally grown up' was the phrase she jokingly used. You seem to be fixated on the younger version of Sirius, someone who doesn't seem to exist any more."

"The old - younger version of Sirius would have used his wand first, rather than punching me one…"

"Sirius actually punched you?"

This surprised Remus. "He really didn't tell you?"

"As I said, he only revealed what happened to Harry - though you can be certain Hermione now knows too. Those two don't have any secrets between them."

"I said something rather disparaging about Amelia…"

"Oh shit! I thought you knew Sirius? That was a really, really stupid thing to do. I can't think of anything worse you could have done, even punching Sirius wouldn't have been as bad as that."

Remus was left shaking his head in frustration. "Since the day I returned to Hogwarts all I've heard about is how much things are changing. I just need to look around the hall to see it's true yet I expected some things to stay the same. I'll need to sit down and think carefully about how I can apologise to Sirius. Sorry for having a go at you too. If the students' reactions are anything to go by, it would seem you've had quite the day."

"Yeah, getting the coach for free gave us a lot more scope with the resources we had. Both Harry and Sirius put cash into the pot too, allowing us to really push the boat out. We'll find out in class tomorrow just how well it worked."

This actually put a small smile on Remus' face, not something he would have thought possible when he first sat down. "I don't think you need to wait until tomorrow, you three have a hit on your hands. How big a hit can be judged by the fact McGonagall is sitting there actually smiling. Trust me, that doesn't happen too often - like never."

Their chat continued in a more friendly vein as both men began the process of getting to know each other better over dinner.

-oOoOo-

Their students next morning were still high from their outing, taking a few minutes to settle down. Emma set them off again by asking everyone if they'd enjoyed visiting Aberdeen before Dan got the class back under control.

"Remember back in September I said none of us believed the non magical world was anywhere near ready to learn about the witches and wizards living amongst them - we still believe that to be true. I also said then that didn't mean those in the know couldn't enjoy both worlds. Who in here now believes that to be true?"

Without any hesitation, every single student in the class raised their hand - making this whole teaching experiment worthwhile for the three new professors. Petunia was next to speak.

"The purpose of these lessons are for you to have a greater understanding of the non magical world, so you can also blend into that environment if you so wish to. We only had a day, a matter of hours really. Yesterday was more a case of giving you a taste of what is out there - and available to you if you want it. There are also cinemas, theatres, libraries, football stadiums, swimming baths, restaurants and so much more available - and Aberdeen isn't even the biggest city in Scotland, never mind Britain."

Emma then took the lead, once again emphasising it was all about choice. "None of us have the knowledge of how magical society works, we're here to give you information on the non magical version. As you get older, going out in the muggle world with your friends could be a restaurant - a trip to the cinema or a night dancing in a club. This might not be something you want to do, as always the choice is yours to make. Our job is to ensure you're as prepared as you can be to take any of those options if you so wish to."

The class were so engrossed in the lesson, they didn't even notice McGonagall entering. After asking if she could speak to the class for a moment, the Headmistress then proceeded to give everyone a little lift.

"I received an owl this morning from a Mr McDade, the gentleman in charge of the coach you were all on yesterday. He wanted to compliment the behaviour of the students he met yesterday, saying it was exemplary and a credit to Hogwarts. He was so pleased with what he saw, Mr McDade has already confirmed he would be more than happy to help out the next time we venture into the muggle world - for free. I have already spoken to Miss McDade, inviting her family to be our guests at the next quidditch match. Hogwarts opening its doors has seen us make a lot of new friends, I'm delighted to add the McDade family to that growing list."

This had the class applauding as McGonagall was again smiling. "Professor Dumbledore loved ten pin bowling, it was one of his favourite things to do. He had intended to surprise you all by turning up and taking part in yesterday's event. Had he done so, I don't think the students' team would have won so easily."

This had expressions of surprise on every student's face. If Dumbledore could play ten pin bowling, who were they to say venturing into the muggle world was wrong. That they all had loads of fun doing so meant most would be looking to repeat that experience. Draco agreed the match would have been closer, but for a different reason. He'd felt the pressure of everyone watching him as he took his shot. That pressure would certainly have increased if they'd been bowling against a professors team led by Dumbledore.

"Yesterday was such a success, I can already confirm that next year's trip - featuring our current first year - will go ahead. Each of you were ambassadors for Hogwarts yesterday, and everyone played their part in ensuring the school's reputation was enhanced. Ten points to everyone who took part."

Minerva actually stayed for the rest of the lesson, which was the students asking questions that yesterday's outing had thrown up. She found herself learning too from that interaction. A question from Hannah Abbot though appeared to have everyone who was muggle raised/born chuckling as they searched for an answer.

"Professors, we really enjoyed our time in the shopping centre. Why did they keep playing that terrible music though? Doesn't it drive the people who have to work there crazy?"

-oOoOo-

Minerva soon found herself at a meeting to discuss another school trip, this time however it was in the Minister of Magic's office. Fudge found himself facing three formidable women in McGonagall, Longbottom and Bones.

"The reason I asked for this meeting is to try and plan a trip for Augusta's wizarding culture class. A trip that, if the story in the Prophet is to be believed, would seem to have a lot to measure up to."

"The stories are true, Cornelius. Both Augusta and I were with them and the students all loved their day."

Amelia's opinion found firm backing from Minerva. "While I wasn't on the outing, I did take part in their class next morning. Every single student had a good time, and came back to Hogwarts with loads of questions. Dan Granger actually filmed some of their day and intends to show them and the first year class how the day went. I've asked if the film could be made available at the next staff meeting. I have heard nothing but positive things about their adventure, and Hogwarts has been buzzing with excitement since they returned Sunday evening."

Augusta then confirmed that all three witches facing the Minister of Magic were of the same mind. "I was there, and also agree with every word Minerva just said - and that's where the problem lies. I now have to follow that for the wizarding culture part of their course and feel we really need to go all out to match their trip to Aberdeen."

"Was it really that impressive?"

Amelia found herself chuckling at a few pleasant memories. "They got to see a muggle aircraft - holding a couple of hundred passengers and their luggage - take off and fly. They spent a couple of hours shopping and having lunch in a heated indoor shopping centre - then got to witness Augusta Longbottom playing a game of ten pin bowling. Cornelius, their day was a spectacular success - exceeding even the high hopes Dan, Emma and Petunia had for it. Seeing a Wizengamot session, followed by meat and potato pie in the cafeteria, is not going to cut it. The bar has been set high and we really need to match, if not better that level."

"I take it you three ladies have some ideas on how to achieve this?"

That's what they had been waiting for, Amelia got the ball rolling. "Augusta has been teaching this class about the functions of our government. The problem with that is trying to make it at least sound interesting - if not exciting"

It was then Augusta who took over as they tag-teamed the minister. "One of the first things we hit upon when trying to formalise these lessons was that, in every single case, they worked much more effectively when we could tie that lesson into something that affected the class. Instead of watching a Wizengamot session, which we all know could sometimes put insomniacs to sleep, I propose we let the class sit in those seats and have a discussion about something that directly affects all of them. They could be the Wizengamot members for an hour or so while we would lead their discussions."

Minerva then went for the body slam. "Since some of those students will one day sit in those very seats, this would give them first hand experience of just what that could be like."

The more Cornelius thought about this idea, the more he liked it. The students would get some first hand experience of how their ministry worked, and see him sitting at its head. Add in some press coverage and the visit would be just about perfect - and all it was going to cost were some free lunches for the students in the cafeteria. Cornelius should have remembered the old adage that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

"That sounds like a splendid idea, one I'm sure could be tweaked a little to show us in the best possible light. Do you think that will be enough of an adventure to favourably compare with their other trip?"

He received an honest reply from Augusta. "I think it's a good beginning, nothing more. Hogwarts scored a big hit by inviting muggle parents to the castle on a quidditch weekend. I think that, after their Wizengamot session and some lunch or dinner, taking them to see a professional quidditch match would certainly round off a pretty incredible day."

While Cornelius agreed with that assessment, his mind had moved on to the spiralling cost of this planned trip before Amelia practically read his mind.

"Cornelius, you're forgetting something. Namely, just who some of these students are. Mentioning that Hogwarts is looking to take the class containing two Orders of Merlin, First Class holders to a professional quidditch match will have teams the length and breadth of the country vying to be the team chosen. That Harry Potter plays seeker for Gryffindor is known by every witch and wizard in the country, whether they follow the sport or not."

All could clearly see the truth of Amelia's words, with a date sometime in June being provisionally agreed upon. The chosen quidditch match would decide the actual date, with the Wizengamot chamber's availability being easier to arrange.

After talking things over with Dan, Emma, Petunia and Augusta, all four agreed they'd missed a trick by not having a few older muggleborn students along to help out on the day. That was something they intended to implement this time around, with Minerva's suggestion of the four quidditch captains accompanying the class being quickly accepted. All four left the meeting happy with what was achieved, and with some planning to do.

Cornelius would be contacting the top half dozen teams in the country to see if they would like to play host to these students. He was expecting to quickly receive six positive replies.

-oOoOo-

Severus was getting angrier and angrier, today's Daily Prophet adding more fuel to his mounting ire. That this supposed newspaper was now reduced to clasping even the flimsiest of excuses to plaster the Potter brat's picture on their front page saw him ranting and raving about the injustices in their world.

A school trip into the muggle world by Potter's yeargroup was more than enough justification for the Prophet's editor to stick their new poster boy on the front page. They also took great pains to inform their readers that a subsequent trip into the wizarding world would take place for the same class before the end of summer term. That these trips were part of a new course Hogwarts, with ministerial support, was pioneering for the first two years of every student's time there also featured heavily in the article.

That praise was being heaped on everyone, especially Potter, put Severus right off his breakfast. It actually did more than that though, it was another building block being added to his growing belief that only his former master could stop this perpetual love-in that threatened the very existence of their ways.

He was well aware actually finding the dark lord would be a massive challenge, never mind returning his spirit to a functioning body. Severus' biggest challenge however might be surviving the dark lord once more being able to wield a wand. Those months his master spent in Hogwarts yet kept his presence a secret from his marked follower bore heavily on Severus, he needed some way to show the dark lord he was still loyal to their cause.

Severus' own cause might be the ending of the Potter line but it really pained him to acknowledge he couldn't see that happening without his master's involvement. Looking again at the picture, Severus suddenly had a piece of inspiration.

All this mutual admiration would have their guard down, and it was always better to strike when your foe was least expecting it. If he could pull this off, Potter's hated face would once more be on the front page of the Prophet. Severus was willing to wager though that the brat wouldn't be smiling.

Doing this would certainly see him become a wanted wizard, and force him to flee the country. It would also let his master see that Severus had not forsaken him, and was more than ready to strike out at their enemies. If he could pull this off in time, it could also provide Potter with a Christmas present he'd never forget.

As his gaze returned to the newspaper, Severus' mood had improved immensely. He now had the semblance of a plan, and a timetable to work with. His time for moping around Britain was now almost over. He would execute his planned revenge, and then leave the country the same day. They would all remember the name of Severus Snape, especially Potter and his useless godfather.

-oOoOo-

A blizzard had hit Hogwarts last night, the deep snow causing the cancellation of their last Herbology class of the year. This saw all the excited second years getting down to dinner early. Today was Friday, they would have the whole weekend to frolic in the snow before catching the express back home for Christmas.

Sitting with her back to the doors, Hermione was as surprised as Parvati clearly was at what she was seeing.

"Hermione, I thought your mum and dad weren't coming to Hogwarts this weekend?"

Hermione was just about to confirm that before noticing Parvati was staring over her shoulder. Turning, she saw her parents entering the great hall. The excited witch was out of her seat like a shot.

"Mum, dad, you changed your mind? We'll be home on Monday..." Hermione stopped rushing into her mother's arms - something was wrong here. The smiles both her parents were wearing didn't reach their eyes. Before she had a chance to say any more, Emma struck. The concealed blade in her hand found its target.

The hall was soon full of screams, spells and blood - what seemed like lots of blood.


	28. Tears for Hermione

**You're My Density**

A/N After leaving my readers hanging last weekend, I tried to write the next chapter a little bit faster. I am also attempting something never done on FFN before. I have cast the ancient Scottish spell, ochayethenoo, on this chapter. This should mean that those who gave me pelters for the cliffy won't be able to read this chapter until my usual post time - Sunday. The user, Guest, might manage to read it around about August…

Robert

**Chapter 28 - Tears for Hermione**

Amelia detested what she was about to do but really didn't have another option available. What they had here was an incident of a muggle attacking a witch. An Order of Merlin, First Class holding witch, in front of a few hundred underage witches and wizards, to be precise. The law of the land did not recognise the situation as a family tragedy so Amelia really had to play this one by the book. That Emma was someone she counted as a friend just added more emphasis to the need to do this by the numbers. Not for one second did she consider the possibility that Emma could be guilty, Amelia just had to prove Emma's innocence beyond any doubt to everyone else.

She had four aurors and a court scribe in a screened-off part of the Hogwarts infirmary. It was time to start the proceedings. Amelia spoke her name, position in the D.M.L.E. along with the date and time before each auror in turn did the same. Amelia then described the scene for the scribe to record.

"The suspect, one Emma Granger - muggle professor at Hogwarts and mother of her victim, is restrained on a bed in the Hogwarts infirmary. She is conscious but hasn't said anything. It has now been over an hour since the attack took place, and the suspect has been in custody since seconds after the attack was carried out. We are therefore discounting the use of polyjuice potion for the moment. I will now cast the counter curse to the imperius and then Auror Shacklebolt will administer truth serum."

No sooner had Amelia cast the counter curse than Emma was shrieking like a banshee, screaming her daughter's name over and over. She fought the restraints, desperate to see Hermione, but the application of the truth serum soon dampened her emotions. Seeing this, Amelia asked her first question.

"What is your name?"

"Emma Granger"

That officially ruled out polyjuice but Amelia now needed to establish they were dealing with the horrible curse that was going to see someone spending the rest of their life in Azkaban for casting it on Emma - but only if Harry didn't get to them first.

"Why did you attack Hermione Granger?"

"I was ordered to, I fought the order with everything I had but couldn't stop myself."

With the Imperius curse now established as the cause here, and her friend's innocence established, Amelia asked the question she really hoped Emma knew the answer to.

"Do you know who ordered you to attack Hermione?"

"Yes, the professor who was sent to prison for attacking Harry. I think his name was Snape but it was definitely the same man whose picture was in the Prophet."

-oOo-

Emma turned to see the stranger in their practice. She was just about to tell this man they were closed for the night when recognition kicked in. Before she could react however, his wand had her feeling all floaty - almost as if she'd taken some pre-op drugs.

Recognising that her mind was in a suggestible state though proved no defence when this bastard started issuing orders. While she was mentally screaming inside, her body was like some kind of automation that had to obey his orders.

"Take this blade and cut your daughter with it tonight. After you have achieved this, stab yourself with the same blade. Under no circumstances are you to cut yourself - or anyone else - before cutting your daughter. You will behave as normal, giving no warning of your intentions, right up until you cut her."

Dan was given the exact same orders, only with Harry as his target. After being made to verbally repeat their orders, Snape dissapirated away.

"The missis called for Darla?"

Dan was helping Emma on with her coat as she answered the elf. "Yes, I want you to take Dan and I to Hogwarts."

"Missis is going to Hogwarts? Dobby and Darla thought youse were coming home…"

"We just want to surprise Hermione and Harry."

"Does Missis want Darla to fetch Dobby?"

"No, Darla, I want you to take Dan and I to Hogwarts."

After being issued an order by her family, Darla had to comply. She popped both of them to the castle.

Walking into the great hall, Emma spotted her target within seconds. Hermione was running straight to her, then she would carry out her orders. When Hermione suspiciously stopped, Emma was left with no option but to act. Her arm flashed out and the blade opened Hermione's cheek to the bone. Seeing all the blood, Emma was about to stab herself when she suddenly couldn't move. That was the last thing she remembered.

-oOo-

Everyone listening now felt nothing but sympathy for this mother, forced to try and murder her child. Amelia had one more question. "Did you know the blades were coated with some kind of poison?"

Even under the neutralising influence of the truth serum, it was impossible to miss how big an impact that news had on Emma. She barely managed a 'no' before becoming hysterical again.

-oOoOo-

Harry was of course beside Hermione's bed. Hermione didn't know this however, having been placed in stasis the instant Madam Pomfrey had detected there was some dark poison at the site of the wound. It not only thwarted her attempt at healing the large gash but was actively attacking Hermione's body. She was now in stasis, and the left side of her face was swathed in bandages.

Sirius, Susan and Luna were there too though Harry's attention was currently focused on the smallest pair of visitors. Dobby had his arms around a sobbing Darla but the male elf's anger at the current situation was probably only matched by that of Harry.

"Darla, You did what Emma asked you to. You then warned Dobby you thought something was wrong. Dobby froze Emma and Dan the instant they attacked Hermione, allowing us to cast stunners. Do you think Dobby or me were too slow to react?"

"Oh no sir. You and Dobby were wonderful."

"So were you, Darla. Your warning bought Dobby and me the time to act. There were a lot of mistakes made here, we all got too comfortable and let our guard down. We'll sit down and discuss this as a family when Hermione is back with us."

As hard as he tried, Harry couldn't keep the tremor out of his voice as he said that last bit. Emma's loud shrieks of Hermione's name however pushed everything else to the back of his mind.

"I'll need to go and see Emma. Sirius, can you and the girls stay with Hermione?"

All three quickly said they would before Harry issued what were nothing less than orders. "Dobby, protect Hermione. Nobody but Madam Pomfrey or us to get anywhere near her. Anyone who wants to argue, stun first and we'll deal with it when I come back. Darla, please come with me."

Nodding, Dobby then issued an order of his own. "Darla, protect our family. We don't know if anyone else was involved in this."

Now having an important job to do, Darla's tears quickly stopped. Walking over to Harry, he held his hand out. Harry walked to the area of the infirmary where Emma was being questioned holding the elf's hand - with both elf and wizard drawing comfort from the contact.

The aurors of course spotted their entrance, their boss waving the pair in ended any concerns they might have had. That changed when the woman on the bed implicated Snape in the attack, the magic appeared to be pouring out of the boy. Amelia's hand on his arm calmed him somewhat, as did his clear concern for the woman answering the questions.

Witnessing Emma's reaction to the news about the poisoned blades saw Harry gently push past Amelia, remove the magical restraints from Emma and take her in his arms. Her extreme emotional state was enough to burn off the last of the truth serum's effects, she broke down sobbing while clinging to the boy she hoped would someday officially become her son.

Knowing Emma couldn't manage to talk at the moment, Harry gave her the news she was desperate for. "Hermione is in stasis for now while the ministry's best people search for an antidote to whatever poison he used. Snape wanted you and Dan to murder us, then cover his tracks by you both killing yourselves. We'll get him, Emma, just as soon as Hermione's back on her feet."

The mother in Emma recognised Harry needed this hug as much as she did. With that recognition came something else, her children needed her. With that thought, Emma took the first step into regaining control of her emotions. It was gonna take a little while though as they desperately clung to each other.

Sirius saw Dobby switch attention and his wand was out before realising it. Turning his head he spotted Remus and Neville approaching. Holding his hand up to the pair, Sirius then spoke to the elf.

"Dobby, Neville is going to take my seat while I talk to Remus. We'll be standing just over there and won't leave your sight."

After a moment Dobby nodded his agreement. Sirius had a quick word with Neville. "Sorry about that, but Harry left Dobby strict orders to protect Hermione. After what happened earlier we don't know who to trust so he'll stun anyone even looking the wrong way at Hermione."

"It's fine, Sirius. I just wanted to see my friend. If I twitch the wrong way, Dobby is welcome to stun me. Hermione is the important one here."

After a pat on his shoulder from Sirius, Neville slowly sank into the vacated chair. Sirius moved over to talk with Remus.

"Would that elf really stun someone?"

"Remus, had that been anyone else but Emma who attacked Hermione tonight, you would have witnessed a murder in the great hall. Dobby loves that girl lying there nearly as much as my godson does. It would have been a case of who ripped the lungs out of her attacker first. Hermione is rather easy to fall in love with though, she has a goodness about her that is only matched by her bravery. That girl is the reason I'm standing here a free man. She just has to recover..."

Sirius had tears running down his cheeks and he wasn't ashamed of them. Amelia appeared and kissed her soon to be husband. He quietly asked for confirmation.

"Imperius?"

"Yes, cast on them by Severus Snape. Dan's target was to be Harry, then they were supposed to stab themselves."

Closing his eyes, only his arms around Amelia allowed Sirius to reign in his explosive temper. While his voice was still low, there was no mistaking the determination it contained. "You know he's a walking dead man?"

Proud of Sirius' control, Amelia kissed him again. "Love, give me half a chance and I'll kill the bastard myself. I have to go through the formality of interviewing Dan now, not something I'm looking forward to. You do know that Snape's involvement means this poison is probably one he designed himself?"

Sirius had known that from the instant Amelia mentioned the hated name, and also what it did to Hermione's chances. He gave her a final kiss before offering some words of encouragement. "Go clear Dan. We'll need our family together to face this."

Watching Amelia walk away, Sirius spoke to his friend. "There's a part of me that wishes James had never stopped that greasy bastard meeting Moony while we were at Hogwarts, fuck the consequences. I'm trying to be a better man though, and I have a good idea what that would have done to you. I will kill that murdering death eater bastard, even if only to save Harry having it on his conscience."

"Sirius, I'm really sorry. Sorrier than I can say for what happened tonight, and so sorry for what I said... I was a fool"

"It's okay, really it is - and I'm sorry for punching you one. I understand how keeping you at arm's length must be making you feel but it wasn't my call. Those two have to be so careful who they trust, Remus, you can clearly see why. I immediately vouched for you but they logically took that backing apart. I haven't seen you in over a decade, a decade that has certainly changed me. They have nothing against you, and certainly not your furry little problem. Harry and Hermione need to get to know people before they begin to trust them, that's all. It's not paranoia when the bad guys really are out to get you."

Harry emerged with Emma, nodding approvingly at Sirius talking with Remus. Neville stood and moved his chair closer to the bed for Emma to sit, she never even noticed as her eyes were focused on the still form of her daughter. Sitting her in the chair, Harry kissed Emma's cheek as she clasped Hermione's hand in both of hers.

"I'll go and get Dan when Amelia's finished with him, he'll want to be here too."

He stopped first to speak with Sirius. "You heard?"

His question was answered by a nod from Sirius. "Amelia told me. We look after our family, then he's a dead man. See, you can teach new tricks to an old dog."

While appreciating the attempt at humour, neither godson nor godfather smiled. As Harry walked away, Remus couldn't help but comment to Sirius. "That godson of yours already had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and now this. He just can't seem to catch a break."

Having gotten to know his godson very well, Sirius was confident in predicting Harry's reactions. "If we lose Hermione, we'll lose Harry as well. They're already that connected, Moony. After taking his revenge, Harry would disappear off the face of the planet."

"Surely you don't mean…" Remus couldn't finish that sentence, he didn't need to.

"All I know is that I would probably never see my godson again, and that I'm standing here helpless to prevent that from happening is killing me."

Dan gave basically the same answers to Amelia's questions as his wife. He too reacted badly to the news that the blade had been poisoned. Harry removed the magical bindings when the questions were finished but Dan just lay there, hating the terrifying implications of what he'd just heard. Still laying there unmoving, he eventually broke the silence.

"Harry, how are our girls?"

"Hermione is being held in stasis while the ministry search for an antidote to the poison. Emma is sitting holding her hand, I think that's the only thing still holding Emma together."

"This is the same guy whose poison affected Arthur's youngest son? That time, they got him out of prison so he could brew an antidote. What are the chances of him being caught and helping?"

"Even if they caught him in time, Snape wouldn't help. He hates my father and godfather, for some reason he had no problem transferring that combined hatred onto me." Harry's head was down as he continued. "I'm sorry, Dan. This is because I publicly declared myself opposed to the death eaters…"

Sitting up and swinging round to face Harry, Dan supportively placed a hand on each of Harry's shoulders. "Son, I have more anger in me now than at any other time in my life. None of that anger however is directed at you. People who can order parents to murder their own children must be opposed with everything that we have, and then shown no mercy when they get caught. Knowing you and my daughter, both of you were always going to stand up to these madmen. It's who you both are, two of the bravest people I've ever had the privilege to know…"

Lowering his voice, Dan then asked the question he really didn't want to know the answer too. "If I remember rightly, there's a time limit to how long Hermione can be held in stasis?"

He could feel the shakes as Harry silently sobbed while trying to answer. "She has about forty eight hours. We can't administer any potions to extend that because there's no way of knowing how they would react to the poisons. Knowing Snape, he would have thought of that and built in a nasty surprise or two."

"Let's keep that to ourselves for now, and get back to our girls."

Soon Dan was standing with his arms around Emma as she clung to Hermione's hand. Harry sat around the other side of the bed, running his fingers through Hermione's hair. Amelia had to go and start the manhunt for Snape, and hopefully give the poison investigators a better idea of what they were dealing with. Any poison Snape used would not be able to be bought over any counter, and certainly deadly.

-oOoOo-

Magical Britain woke to the front page news that a death eater had attempted to murder Harry Potter and his intended, Hermione Granger, by using the imperius curse on her parents. That Harry survived unscathed wasn't really being celebrated since his intended was currently in a critical condition.

No, the Prophet directed its readers main anger at a certain individual, Severus Snape. That this individual had already been sentenced to Azkaban for attacking Harry Potter certainly added to the ire Prophet readers were feeling.

On reading that brewing an antidote to his poisoning of one of the Weasley children had him gaining early release from Azkaban saw a fair bit of that anger directed at the ministry too. Knowing this was bound to be the public's reaction, there was actually a statement from the Minister of Magic on the situation.

"The Ministry are tackling this problem from two sides, with no efforts being spared on either of these fronts. Firstly, our brightest potions minds are working around the clock in their attempts to produce an antidote to the poison currently threatening Miss Granger's life. Secondly, Severus Snape now holds the position of being our most wanted criminal. The Ministry of Magic has placed a ten thousand galleon reward for information leading to his capture. Our auror force will also leave no stone unturned as they hunt this death eater down. While a Hogwarts student did indeed drink a poison the former potions professor had previously prepared, this was accidental. Snape was allowed to brew an antidote that saved the student's life, and had his Azkaban sentence shortened by a few weeks for doing so."

Anyone checking the record would discover Snape's sentence had been reduced by about seven weeks but Cornelius was an expert at reading the public. He knew the only figure they would be interested in was the one with four zeros in it.

The Prophet then added another incentive to seeing Snape captured by stating whoever managed that feat would surely have the gratitude of the boy-who-lived. After all Harry Potter had done for them, here was a chance to repay their saviour.

Since almost every student at Hogwarts had witnessed the attack, they were of course desperate for news on what was happening. As the only three students currently allowed anywhere near Hermione - Susan, Luna and Neville - were saying nothing, the news in the Prophet was hungrily devoured before breakfast.

Leaving his breakfast untouched, Ron rose and headed to the group of redheads sitting at the Gryffindor table. A crying Ginny was sandwiched between her twin brothers though stood and clung to Ron as he came up beside her.

"Oh Ron, it's like summer all over again. We all were left with nothing to do but sit and hope you made it."

Even the twins were wearing their emotions on their sleeves this morning as that particular wound was still very raw. "Yeah and Harry tried to apologise to us for not getting to you sooner."

Having been unconscious, Ron had missed all of this anxiety. He tried to bolster his siblings. "Hey, Fred, I pulled through. Hermione can too."

It was George who put his younger brother straight. "You pulled through because Snape brewed the antidote to his potion, in the hope they'd let him out of Azkaban. Even if the ministry caught him, that bastard hates Harry. He would never help Hermione."

As Ginny clung to Ron, her tears started to fall. "I just keep seeing all the blood, and hearing those terrible screams of Hermione's. What had she ever done to deserve something like that?"

Sitting wedged between Neville and Parvati at the other side of the table, Luna couldn't let that go. "No one could ever deserve something like that, no matter what they did. Certainly not a thirteen year old girl. It's also badly affected her parents, how could it not. What we saw last night was how the death eaters really operate. They have no noble cause, and absolutely no morals. They're nothing but murdering bastards, every single last one of them."

Luna hadn't realised how loud her voice had gotten, or maybe it was because the entire hall had quietened to hear what was being said. Either way, everyone at breakfast heard every single word she just spoke. McGonagall's voice then passed judgement from the staff table.

"Miss Lovegood, ten points to Gryffindor. It would have been more but I had to deduct some for the language you used. While perhaps appropriate, it's not something I want to hear used by my first year students."

With her face going red, Luna nodded in thanks. Her face got redder as people began to clap in support of her opinion, and the headmistress' stance on this matter. McGonagall then got up to speak.

"I had intended to let us finish our breakfast before saying anything but I notice more than a few of us have no appetite this morning. The story in the Prophet is essentially correct. Miss Granger's life hangs in the balance as the race to find an antidote continues. If there is any news you can be assured I will pass it on. With such a stressful situation gripping the castle, I would ask you to please not harass their friends for information. If anything, they are feeling worse than we are."

As Ron headed back to the Hufflepuff table, Ginny then proceeded to put her foot right in it. Looking to Luna, she asked a stupid question. "How's Harry?"

While a fairly innocuous question, Luna suspected there was something more behind Ginny's asking of it. "Harry's sitting beside his intend, hoping the ministry can come up with a cure to save Hermione's life. He's not up there thinking about a fan girl replacement to be on his arm for the Longbottom ball." It was only after being drawn into Parvati's arms Luna realised she was sobbing.

As Susan came over to offer some comfort for the little blonde too, she let Ginny know exactly how she felt. "I'm watching the boy who wants to be my brother going out of his mind because he can't help the girl he loves. Anyone who even thinks of this as some kind of opportunity to get closer to Harry is as despicable as the person who gave Emma that poisoned blade…"

"..and that is why I specifically said not to harass their friends." McGonagall's appearance stopped any further arguments dead in their tracks. "With everyone's stress levels elevated, the most innocuous comment can be construed as something else. Miss Lovegood, everyone in the castle is hoping Miss Granger recovers. I'm sure you'll get to spend Christmas with them, just as had been planned." While that settled everyone down, with Ginny and Luna now trying to apologise to each other, Minerva wished she was as confident of that last statement as she sounded.

Draco didn't know what to think, fortunately he had his mother to go to for advice. Sitting in her Hogwarts accommodation after breakfast, he asked the question that was foremost in his mind.

"Why would Severus do something like that?"

This was also something Cissi had given a lot of though to, so was able to give her son at least an educated guess as her answer. "The only reason I can come up with is that Severus has not only chosen his side, he wanted everyone to know which side he had favoured. If the Dark Lord was teaching in Hogwarts all of last year, that would mean he sat next to Severus at the staff table and didn't reveal his presence. Had Severus managed to kill Potter and Granger, the Dark Lord would welcome his return with open arms. I fear that's where Severus has gone, to the dark and looking for his master. The Dark Lord returning would again fracture our society, and probably force choices onto all of us."

The implications of that weren't lost on Draco, though his focus was still fixed on what happened at dinner last night. "You could be forced to stab me..." Draco's eyes widened with shock as the other side of that possibility hit him. "I could be forced to stab you!"

"The Dark Lord doesn't care about anyone, other than himself. His favourite today can so easily be his victim tomorrow. I can't follow him, Draco, nor will he allow me to remain neutral. By default then, my decision is already made."

Sitting thinking for a moment, Draco then verbalised what was on his mind. "I was bowling with Professor Emma, she seems nice. Even Potter doesn't deserve that happening to his intended. He and Lord Black will be brutal after this. Severus will need to find who he's looking for before they catch up with him. Even then, that might not be enough to save him. Potter beat the Dark Lord at summer. If Hermione dies, I don't think anything will save Severus - or anyone who supports him."

"All I want is for you to think for yourself, Draco. If your father ever gets out of Azkaban, it will be because the Dark Lord has broken him out of there. That would not be good news for me, nor you. If he managed to sire another heir, you would be disinherited from the Malfoy family too."

That cemented one of Draco's options. While Draco still didn't think he could follow the path Potter was forging, he now knew for certain the Dark Lord and he were on different roads.

-oOoOo-

Having sent Dobby off to Privet Drive with news of the terrible events, Harry wasn't too surprised to see his aunt return with the little guy. He was rather shocked to see Dudley accompanying her. The fact his cousin finished school for the holidays yesterday having completely slipped his mind.

Being held in his aunt's arms saw Harry finally break down. He'd been strong all through the night but the situation actually looked bleaker in what passed for daylight this far north, and so close to the winter solstice. Harry and Hermione had a little celebration planned for that night, the night they were supposed to return to Crawley, only for this to happen. As Dan quietly explained the realities of the situation to Petunia and Dudley, all were glad Emma was sitting with her head resting on Hermione's bed and fitfully sleeping.

Petunia held her nephew close as the horror they'd faced, and the potential disaster still to come, unfolded. Dudley stood with his hand supportively on Harry's shoulder but his eyes were locked on the figure lying on the bed. Since getting to know Hermione, Dudley had soon fallen under the spell she so effortlessly wove. She was someone he now considered family, someone he was slightly in awe of. Seeing her lying there was a stark reminder Hermione was only slightly older than him. The thought he might not be able to talk to her again had Dudley tearing up too, he had no idea how Harry, Emma and Dan were coping with this.

By the time Dan was telling them that Sirius had only recently left for the ministry, Petunia was comforting both boys in her arms. Noticing Emma beginning to stir was all Harry needed to see before trying to get himself back under control. He headed to the bathroom, a quick wash of his face should disguise most of the evidence of the recent crying. While Hermione remained in stasis, Harry was determined to be strong for Emma.

Sometime during their nighttime vigil, Harry had quietly and privately confided to Dan that he wished it had been him attacked. This led to Dan putting his arm around Harry's shoulder and continuing their conversation at a whisper.

"Emma would feel just as bad if that were you lying there, even if it was me - rather than her who did the attacking. Hermione would be distraught, and probably having this exact same conversation with me. You would each give your life for the other, that is love in its truest form. We have the best people in the country working on this, let's concentrate on that for now.."

Those words had kept Harry going through the long night. While the wait appeared long however, the hours remaining in which his Hermione could be saved seemed to be dwindling at an alarming rate. Returning to Hermione's side, he was pleased to see his aunt had managed to get Emma to eat a few bites of food along with the tea Darla had also provided. The next twenty four hours were going to be critical, they still needed to be able to function at the end of it. Harry too ate a sandwich with his tea, even though he had no idea what filling was inside it. Hermione might need him and Harry was determined he would be ready to give his intended whatever she needed.

-oOoOo-

Dinner that night in the great hall was a very somber affair. It was after all only yesterday that their dinner had descended into bloody chaos. There was also a very real awareness that the sands of time were running out for one of their own. By this time tomorrow night, Hermione's body would start rejecting the stasis charm. That would allow the deadly poison to continue its terrible journey, with only one possible outcome should that happen.

One glance at Neville, Susan or Luna was all anyone needed to know there was as yet no sign of the antidote Hermione's life depended upon. Conversations were held in whispers and the hall emptied almost immediately after dinner was finished.

-oOoOo-

In its daily cycle, the human spirit is recognised to be at its lowest ebb just before the dawn. That was never truer than amongst the party who had spent their second night keeping vigil at Hermione's bedside in the Hogwarts infirmary. While there had been visitors during the day, including the Minister of Magic, it had just been the family who had spent the night. Harry, Emma, Dan and Sirius had now spent their second night here, being joined by Amelia, Dudley and Petunia for tonight.

The mere thought that this could be the last night he ever spent with Hermione saw Harry finally lose any semblance of composure. Not caring who else was there, Harry's desperation saw him decided it was way past time to try and do something he'd been thinking about.

"I'm supposed to be the Master of Death yet we're sitting here helpless while Hermione runs out of time. No, so not happening. If I'm death's master then it's time to start issuing some orders. Hermione needs answers, she needs them now. It's time to call someone who might have some for us..."

After Dobby brought him the Resurrection Stone, Harry summoned Albus Dumbledore. While Petunia and Dudley had seen ghosts about the castle, they both understood something was different here. They also knew now was not the time to ask for answers as Harry practically pleaded with the ghost of his former headmaster.

"You said to summon you if we needed help, I've never needed help more. Professor, you've got to help her. I really don't give a shit about anything else. If death wants me instead, I'm ready now. To me, nothing is more important than the person lying on that bed."

"Harry, I have of course been watching and was hoping you would call me..."

Emma actually managed to get in before Harry with the question they were all desperate to know the answer to. "You can help her?"

"I can't, but I know who can. I remember a story Hermione told of being in this very bed, petrified. How Harry later fought a great battle to save a young witch, only to be injected with the same deadly venom we've been using to try and rid the world of Riddle. Think, Harry, how did she say you survived that?"

It was like a light going off in Harry's head. "Fawkes!"

Just mentioning the legendary creature's name was enough for the area to be bathed in light as Fawkes flamed in. Here was the miracle they had all prayed for, a fighting chance for Hermione. All Harry's fatigue left along with his doubts, he was ready to spring into action.

"Sirius, we need Madam Pomfrey here..."

As Sirius shot away, some words of warning came from the former headmaster. "Hermione will need to be out of stasis for Fawkes' tears to heal her. I would also not recommend using any magic. The slightest interference could see some of the toxin survive, and that would mean Hermione wouldn't. While I find Severus' actions in this matter reprehensible, we mustn't forget he is a brilliant potions master - however twisted it seems he's become. We are only going to get one shot at this..."

Poppy's shock at seeing Albus was soon overcome when noticing the Phoenix perched on the end of Hermione's bed. "Will Fawkes help, Albus?"

The colourful bird answered that question by trilling a tune so positive, it could only be a yes. When Albus reiterated his treatment suggestions to Poppy, she knew it would be hard on Hermione and her family but agreed to the necessity of it. Albus then had one last suggestion for Harry.

"While Hermione is coming out of stasis, there will be a window of a few seconds where you might be able to contact her mind and provide a warning of what will be happening. The last thing she will remember is being in the great hall. If she starts fighting everyone, who knows what might happen."

They were getting organised when Poppy removed the bandages from Hermione's face, that ended Dudley's involvement. He shot off to the toilet, Harry sent Dobby to see he was okay. In any situation requiring magic, Harry would want Dobby by his side. Where using magic might actually harm Hermione, he wanted to spare the little guy the pain of watching what was about to happen.

Emma had been holding Hermione's right hand practically since the moment she'd sat beside her daughter, she was not for moving now. Emma would hold Hermione's right arm and shoulder down. Sirius was tasked with the left arm, Petunia and Amelia would be restraining a leg each. Harry and Dan would be trying to hold Hermione's head still enough for Fawkes' tears to find their target. Again Albus had offered a warning. There was a limit to the number of tears Fawkes could cry at any given instance, and it would take days for another batch to be potent enough to heal again.

With everyone in position, Poppy began counting down to removing the stasis charm. Harry was looking into Hermione's eyes, trying to enter her mind, right after Poppy began to count. With Hermione in stasis, it was like trying to stare through a brick wall. As the charm began to lift, Harry started to recognise his Hermione. Rather than screaming instructions inside her head, Harry flashed Hermione an image of Fawkes getting ready to cry into her wound while their family held her steady. Harry reckoned Albus must have been out on the length of that window however because Hermione had barely received the image before the incredible pain hit.

Discovering the pain affected him too, Harry didn't retreat from Hermione's mind. Instead, he tried to embrace it and her. If accepting this pain lessened Hermione's by even the slightest degree, nothing was going to move him from here.

Knowing that certain students of hers would be heading to the infirmary before breakfast, Minerva was waiting on Luna and Neville when they came down to the Hogwarts common room. After confirming there was no news as yet, she quietly accompanied the Gryffindors to the infirmary - picking up a Hufflepuff en route. The quartet had just about reached the infirmary doors when the screaming started. With wands already drawn, they burst through the doors and froze.

All they could move was their eyes, though three of them knew they were in no danger after spotting it was Dobby holding them in place. The elf may have tried to offer an explanation as to what he was doing. If so, it was lost in the screams coming from Hermione and, surprisingly, Harry. The tears freely running down the little guy's cheeks however clearly demonstrated those screams hurt Dobby just as much as they did them. The little guy's heart was breaking.

His daughter's tortured screams were also ripping the heart out of Dan. That he was an active participant in this torture would, at any other time, have seen Dan ready to cut his own throat. The difference here was that Dan had the best view of what was actually happening.

As those oh so precious Phoenix tears dripped into that horrifying wound on Hermione's face, he could see the black vapour bubbling out of her flesh. That this same flesh began to regenerate and repair itself was akin to witnessing a miracle for this healthcare professional. That was why Dan held his daughter's head as lovingly but as firmly as he needed to. He was sure Hermione's screams would live with him for the rest of his life. If Hermione lived today, Dan would consider that a price well worth paying.

The intense pain had robbed Harry of the ability to think, other than to stay and help Hermione. Just being able to question if the pain was lessening meant it must be so, he wasn't even able to do that a few seconds ago. Harry was now pushing through the pain, trying like mad to contact Hermione.

_"Hang on, love, it must be working. The pain is definitely lessening, just hang on a little bit longer."_

_"Harry?"_

_"Yes, love. I'm here."_

_"You didn't leave?"_

_"Hermione Granger, I'm never leaving you. That means you need to do the same for me, love. I thought I was going to lose you..."_

In just a few seconds, Hermione was able to see the 'highlights' of what had been happening - and how close Harry was to the edge.

_"You're never getting rid of me, Potter. Not gonna happen. I think we need to let the rest of our family know I'm alright though, the pain is more of a dull throb now."_

_"Be right with you..."_

Harry left Hermione's mind and witnessed the last of Fawkes tears land on Hermione's wound. Poppy had of course been watching over everything that happened and her words had spirits soaring. "Wonderful work, Fawkes. I'll leave that until tomorrow before casting any magic at it but Miss Granger should be left without any scarring whatsoever."

"That's good. One scar in the family is quite enough."

That it was Hermione who said these words had those soaring spirits going off like fireworks - vividly colourful, celebratory and so very, very loud.

**_( Scots to English translation: och aye the noo - oh yes, just now )_**


	29. Justice

**You're my Density**

**Chapter 29 - Justice!**

The atmosphere inside the great hall that Sunday morning was a strange one. As the students would be heading home tomorrow for their Christmas Holidays, you would then expect the prevailing mood to be a jovial one. Today's issue of the Prophet however cast a dark cloud over everyone who read that the Ministry were still no closer to producing an antidote for Hermione Granger. What was strange though were the whispers going around the castle that something remarkable had happened. A smiling McGonagall entering the great hall provided the vital spark that had been missing for so many of them - hope.

Rather than keep everyone waiting, Minerva honoured her promise to the students and immediately approached the podium to pass on the good news.

"We have all hoped Miss Granger could be saved from her terrible fate. As time progressed though, I think it's fair to say our hope was fading. Due to the intervention of an old friend of Hogwarts however, I have some very good news to pass on. Miss Granger is not only out of danger, Madam Pomfrey expects her to make a complete recovery…" The hall exploded, and Minerva let them go. She herself had acted similarly not yet an hour ago.

-o-

Harry was standing beside Dan as everyone hugged and congratulated them. No one could get near Hermione at the moment, the girl and her mother were entwined in an emotional embrace that didn't look to be ending anytime soon.

Hugging Dan and Harry before kissing Sirius, Amelia had to leave at once for the ministry. She was also advising them they might be better having a press conference at Hogwarts, rather than having reporters hounding them when they left the castle. Harry quickly agreed, and asked if she could arrange something for them.

After establishing with Poppy that Miss Granger really was going to be fine, Minerva's attention switched to the ghost that was present. "Albus, what are you doing here? I can't imagine you having unfinished business…"

"Minerva, it's so good to see you again too. As Headmistress, you should know that help will always be given to those in Hogwarts who require it. In all honesty, I've never seen a couple who needed help more. I was delighted to do what I could.."

"Albus, save that bull for someone who doesn't know you and answer the question I asked. What are you doing here?"

Giving a little smile, Albus told Minerva the truth - just not all of it. "You know the task those two have been left with. I made a promise to them on my deathbed that if they ever needed me, I would try to help any way I could. I have no fear of crossing over, nor do I want to remain here. If it means aiding Harry and Hermione however, I'm prepared to do anything and everything I can."

"Like calling Fawkes?"

"Oh no, That is something I am no longer able to do. As you would have seen at my funeral, Fawkes is very taken with this young couple. Harry merely mentioned his name and Fawkes appeared, willing to help."

Both of them watched as Hermione and Emma were now busy thanking the beautiful phoenix, and Fawkes appeared to be revelling in the attention. "Normally when a familiar bond is broken, The phoenix will leave and never be seen again. It wouldn't surprise me however if my old friend decided to bond with either Hermione or Harry. It would be good for all three of them."

Minerva was standing talking about the possibility of a phoenix bonding to a muggleborn with her long time, and now dead, friend - all this before breakfast too.

-o-

Back at breakfast, Minerva got them quietened down before saying what she needed to. "Miss Granger and Mister Potter should be rejoining us sometime today, I want to make something clear to everyone though. Both have had quite the traumatic few days, that's not going to leave them in the next few hours. it would be a very foolish person who used this attack as a basis to taunt either of the pair."

Minerva's steely gaze swept over the entire hall, and it was no coincidence it lingered longer on the Slytherins. The last thing they needed now was for Harry or Hermione to put someone through a wall for a deliberately crass comment aimed at them.

-oOoOo-

The group, minus a once more departed Albus, finally left the infirmary and made it back to the Grangers' accommodation. With Fawkes sitting on Hermione's shoulder for the journey, the few people that they met in the corridors would soon have that news all over the castle. When they settled onto the couch, Hermione and Harry practically became one being while Fawkes perched on the back of a chair, Neville then said he would catch them later. With Susan and Luna confirming they too would need to go and pack for the holidays, it was soon only family left.

Petunia was a person who missed very little, just ask anyone who knew her. She could see there was something else going on here, something they obviously didn't want to include her or Dudley in. While hurt, she really couldn't complain about it. Petunia did want to point out she had noticed though.

"I'm overjoyed that Hermione has recovered but if you need Dudley and me to leave - so you can talk about what really happened - please just say."

Roller coaster didn't come close to describing Harry's emotional state since Hermione had gotten attacked. Those emotions had sank lower than the deepest mineshaft, only to soar into the stratosphere the second his Hermione had returned to him. The support his family had provided had been crucial in getting Harry through those long hours of watching Hermione lying motionless on that infirmary bed. It was an easy decision for him to make.

"Aunt Petunia, Dudley, how would you like to meet my mum and dad?"

Of course it was Hermione who sounded the note of caution. "Are you sure, Harry?"

"They're my family, Hermione, a family who came running when I needed them. With you lying in the infirmary, our family were the only thing that kept me sane. Even then, I would say it became a close run thing. Sirius, you want to give Remus a shout? I'd really prefer just to do this the once."

A grinning Sirius was out of the room like a shot, leaving Harry facing his shocked aunt and cousin.

"I'm not playing a trick on you, nor am I going to call them now. I've done it before, it was wonderful and pure torture at the same time. Talking it over with my mum and dad, we agreed to make their visits an annual event. I intend to call them sometime over the Christmas holidays. This gives us time to think of what we want to ask or say to them, and also prepare for the shock of seeing them again. We have a lot more to tell you, let's just wait until everyone gets here."

At that, both elves popped in and Hermione was off the couch. She was kneeling with Dobby held in one of her patented hugs, one that the little guy was returning with interest.

"Next time Dobby be stunning, and then letting his family deal with it later."

"Dobby, you go right ahead and do that." Emma's emotional declaration was quickly agreed upon by Dan and Harry. Hermione had pulled Darla into the hug too before Sirius returned with Remus.

Harry called a family meeting but the elves popped away for a few seconds, returning with drinks and snacks. Harry held Hermione as she told their tale, only interrupting when he felt she was underplaying her role.

By the end of it all, Remus was shocked but Petunia and Dudley were in bits. Harry went over and put is arms around both of them. "The ministry may have done a number on me, but they did the exact same thing to you - for no other reason than I'm your relation. They must have removed all memories of magic from you too. The upbringing and family I remember were a loving one. You and Uncle Vernon were as good as parents to me, while Dudley and I were more like brothers than cousins. That's the memories I have. That's the family I have - a family that were there for me when I really needed them. Last night was the worst of my life, thinking I was going to lose Hermione sometime today. You helped me through that, and helped get my Hermione back."

"I didn't help, I was in the bathroom throwing up." Realising what he'd just said, Dudley apologised. "Sorry Hermione, that sounded bad."

"Boy takes one look at me and throws up - how could that sound bad?" Hermione's grin actually helped Dudley reboot his brain.

He then asked a question for clarification. "So you two are really like - in your twenties?"

Now grinning too, Harry answered as best he could. "We were eighteen and nineteen when we came back, and have now been back for just over a year, so around about the twenty mark. It took some getting used to, looking in the mirror and seeing an eleven year old me looking back - especially before I got my hair cut and fitted with contacts."

Dan also helped out with the timescales. "We discovered the truth during last year's Christmas Holidays. It was only after Albus died that Sirius and Amelia were brought into the secret. Dudley, you're the only person their age who knows the truth. Are you going to be okay with that?"

"I'll be fine." Dudley's sharp answer was then quantified by the now scared twelve year old boy. "I don't want anyone using magic to make me forget about things - or remember them differently."

He got Harry's instant agreement and backing for that. Remus eventually found his voice, understanding why they'd waited before telling him - and also offering to help them any way he could. Harry's grin this time could only be described as predatory.

"Thanks Remus. You're most definitely invited along for when we talk with my mum and dad. Would you be up for a bit of grave robbing over the holidays too, along with Sirius?"

This obviously required more explanation but Petunia couldn't hold back the question that was really eating away at her.

"Could I really speak to Lily?"

Emma sat beside Petunia and told the story of when they'd met the ghosts of Lily and James Potter. "Lily said to tell her sister that she was on the right path…"

Hearing that, Petunia broke down and Emma held her close. It was actually a cathartic process for both women. Petunia really needed to release her anguish at her previous treatment of Lily's son. Emma agreed one hundred percent with Harry, only the support of her family and friends had seen her through the last two days. Madam Pomfrey had offered both her and Dan the opportunity of having their memories of being imperiused and then attacking Hermione removed from their minds - they had instantly refused. They would get through this as a family, and come out the other side stronger. Being able to offer Petunia comfort was actually helping Emma too.

Sirius was explaining to Remus just what graves they would be robbing, and why, when Amelia returned. She had Augusta and Cornelius with her too, both of whom made straight for Hermione. Augusta's stern exterior was nowhere in evidence as she hugged one of her grandson's best friends. "You had us really worried dear, and I can't say how pleased I am to see you up and well."

Cornelius offered similar sentiments, thought with a handshake and a lot more emotional control.

"The press returned to Hogwarts with us, the headmistress is placing them in the classroom you both use for your training. Do you need some advice on what to say to them?"

The Minister looked at Harry expectantly but he had no intention of turning control of this press conference over to Cornelius. "Thank you, Minister, but we have it covered. Sirius, Dan and I discussed this while waiting on Hermione to recover."

After Fawkes stepped onto her shoulder, Hermione stood beside Harry - ready to face anything. She already knew the men in question wouldn't have discussed what would have happened if she didn't pull through. None of them would have wanted to face that. She would talk about it with Harry when they had some alone time. "So, are you going to tell me what you lot discussed?"

"No time, love. You'll soon find out, and we can talk about it later."

With her parents right behind them, Hermione and Harry led as they headed for the classroom.

-oOoOo-

Few people would recognise Severus Snape as he purchased a copy of the Daily Prophet in Paris. With a ten thousand galleon price tag on his head, he was forced to take drastic measures. He was livid after reading yesterday that those bloody muggles not only didn't kill Potter, both had survived to point the finger at him. His anger had lasted up until he read about the Ministry of Magic placing such a large bounty on the death eater, Severus Snape.

The wizard buying today's issue of the Prophet was almost bald, with short greying hair surrounding the expanse of showing scalp on the top of his head. A sip of ageing potion would also have seen anyone being asked to estimate his age guess at nearer sixty than his thirty four years.

Reading the front page of his newspaper though saw some of those wrinkles disappear, Severus' aged face was now wearing a wide smile. He knew the Ministry potions masters wouldn't be able to produce an antidote to his poison, certainly not in the time they had available. The poison he had concocted was far too complicated to decipher in anything less than a week.

He could actually visualise Potter sitting helplessly beside the dying Granger's bed, with both her grieving parents present too. That happy thought was the reason for Severus' smile. Had he put a bit more thought and planning into the attack, he would have engineered this scenario. Severus now realised this was actually a better outcome for his retribution - Potter being forced to be nothing more than a spectator as death slowly took the woman he loved. Apart from everyone knowing who instigated the attack, Severus thought his revenge was perfect. Potter knowing who caused Granger's demise actually felt great, it was the ten thousand in gold reward on Severus' head that frightened him.

Severus was well aware there were ruthless wizards and witches who would hunt down and kill someone for a lot less gold than that. He would stay in the outskirts of Paris one more day, awaiting confirmation that Granger was dead. Then it would be time to disappear and begin searching for the Dark Lord. He might even get lucky and see the Prophet printing a picture of a broken-hearted Potter on its front page. That would be something Severus would keep as a memento. It would also serve as a golden ticket to pay his way back into the Dark Lord's good graces - or at least not see him tortured to death under his master's wand.

-oOoOo-

While the reporters were sitting on seats at the front of the class, Hermione was pleased to see some of their friends and McGonagall sitting at the back. Augusta led Remus, Petunia and Dudley over to join them while the rest of the group made for the tables and chairs that had clearly been laid out for the interview.

As Harry was holding Hermione's chair for her to sit, Fawkes' perch from Dumbledore's office was placed behind them by a Hogwarts elf. The Phoenix sang its thanks before moving off Hermione's shoulder and taking up a position where Fawkes could see everything in the classroom. Emma sat on Hermione's other side with Dan taking the end chair. Cornelius was stopped from sitting in the centre beside Harry purely by the fact Sirius beat him to the chair. With Amelia claiming the seat beside her fiancé, Cornelius found himself sitting at the opposite end of the table from Dan.

The reporters had been given a short press release explaining the circumstances behind Hermione's recovery - though with no mention of Dumbledore's ghost making an appearance. Seeing how the seating arrangements had played out however saw the first question of the day being fired at Harry.

"Do you or your intended blame the ministry for releasing Snape from Azkaban early?"

Taking a minute to form his answer, Harry soon had the reporters' quills flying across their parchment. "Were their mistakes made with Snape? I would have to say yes..."

Before Cornelius could say anything to defend his ministry, Harry quantified his answer. "Albus Dumbledore confided to Hermione and myself he thought vouching for Snape back in eighty one was a mistake. Snape convinced the headmaster that he was nothing more than a young wizard who had made a bad life choice, a choice he tried to rectify by spying on Voldemort for Dumbledore. Looking back at Snape's behaviour and attitude since that time, it's now clear to see he didn't really change."

As Cornelius began to relax, Harry dropped his next bomb. "I also made a mistake. At Snape's trial, I had information that could have seen him facing far more severe charges. That was information I really didn't want to reveal at the time so used the mere threat of releasing it to force Snape to change his plea to guilty. I thought getting Snape out of Hogwarts would be enough to neutralise him, clearly I was wrong. By my calculations, had the Ministry not released Snape when they did, he would have been out this week anyway. The Ministry is in no way to blame for this incident, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all their hard work in trying to find an antidote for Hermione."

There were a few questions shouted after hearing that, Harry chose which one to answer. It was the one he'd hoped for.

"When you say the Ministry isn't guilty for this incident, are you implying they are guilty of something else?"

"First I would like to say that neither of the Ministry officials sitting here are in any way implicated in these mistakes but yes, the Ministry really dropped the quaffle. We have a perfect example of Ministerial Justice working as it should in this room with us. Dan and Emma Granger were placed under the imperius curse, something that was quickly established beyond any doubt by the use of truth serum. This begs the question 'why was this procedure not used on those death eaters who claimed to have committed their crimes due to being under the influence of this curse?' That the Head of the D.M.L.E. from that period now resides in Azkaban, alongside Lucius Malfoy - a supposed imperius victim - means all those 'I was under the imperius' cases need to be at the very least reexamined. When death eaters can use the imperius curse on Hogwarts professors to murder their students then our society really has to take action and eliminate this threat once and for all. As I said, we have the perfect example of Ministerial justice sitting beside us here. Those who were genuinely under the influence of this unforgivable curse have absolutely nothing to fear..."

As Harry's voice trailed into silence, Cornelius was getting ready to step in and attempt some damage limitation here. Reopening all those cases could wreck havoc on their society. A reporter asking another question would kill that idea stone dead, or rather Harry's answer to it would.

"Can I ask what information you had on Snape, and why would you not want to release it?"

Hermione's hand moving over and clasping Harry's raised one or two eyebrows, that was before Harry's answer blew their minds.

"Albus had kept this information secret for many years, it was not something he wanted know by the general public. He thought it would paint a large target on me and mine. Since we all know why we're here, no one can refute that danger already exists. Years ago, a prophecy was made to Albus that a child would be born with the power to defeat the dark lord. That child is me!"

The silence this time was total. Hardened reporters sat there not knowing what to ask next, too busy thinking the story of the decade had just landed in their laps. Cornelius too was at a loss for words, a highly unusual state of affairs for a career politician. It was left to Harry to break the silence, the entire classroom now hanging on his every word.

"Voldemort didn't come to Godric's Hollow that night to murder my parents, he came for me. While Pettigrew certainly gave Voldemort our address, it was Snape who pointed his master in our direction. Snape had overheard the prophecy being made and quickly informed his master of this."

The questions then started pouring out, with Harry point blank refusing to reveal the actual wording of the prophecy. He did respond to one asking if this didn't focus the remaining death eaters'

attention onto him and his family.

"We know Voldemort isn't really gone, can the country really afford to have his followers sitting waiting on his return? Every follower we take out now is one less we'll have to fight when Voldemort returns and they don their masks again. Without these death eaters' political, financial and magical backing, the threat of Voldemort is greatly reduced. Those old enough will remember how bad it was the last time, can our society survive going down that same road again?"

The reporters then turned their attention to the ministry officials sitting in front of them. Amelia neatly sidestepped that attention by declaring her department stood ready to carry out whatever orders they were given. Cornelius palmed the press off with some 'taking the situation under advisement' platitudes but could see he was rather neatly boxed in here.

Conformation of Harry's prophecy claims would see a new nomenclature attached to this young man, the boy-who-gets-whatever-he-bloody-asks-for. Since Harry clearly wanted the death eater problem dealt with, that was what Cornelius was going to have to do. His one consolation would be that, when this story hit the papers, the public would be clamouring for their Ministry to do that very same thing. For a politician, having public opinion on your side was always a good thing.

Seeing they were getting nothing more out of the Minister, the reporters returned their attention to Harry's side of the table. A question aimed at Emma concerning Snape saw Harry closing that avenue right down.

"Snape is nothing more than a cowardly death eater, cursing muggles and using poisonous potions really is about the limit of his abilities. The only thing he excels at is looking after his own skin, which probably means he's already gotten himself out of the country. With the Ministry now facing a far more serious task, I would hate to see a large proportion of Madam Bones' aurors tied up in the search for this loser. I thought the Ministry's idea of placing a ten thousand galleon price tag on the criminal's head was a very good one. To help speed up that capture, the house of Potter will add another twenty thousand to the pot."

Before anyone else could comment, Sirius knew this was his moment to back his godson. "I agree with everything my godson and heir has said today. His intended was also under the protection of my house so I'll add another twenty thousand to the pot. This cowardly attack on our family will be dealt with. Since Snivilius is probably hiding in a deep dark hole somewhere, a fifty thousand galleon reward will hopefully soon see that hole full of people wanting to claim that gold. As someone who personally suffered with what passed as Ministerial justice, back before Minister Fudge and my fiancée were in charge, I too call on the Ministry to clean up this historical mess it's been left with."

Fawkes trilling while nodding his head in what appeared like agreement with Sirius' sentiments saw a question being politely asked of Hermione.

"Is their any truth in the rumours that Fawkes has bonded with you?"

A smiling Hermione stood and petted the beautiful bird. "I don't know about bonding, Fawkes here feels more like one of the family. It's very hard to describe..."

The Phoenix leaning over and affectionately rubbing his head off Hermione's recently healed cheek answered the question better than words could.

Cornelius was now desperate to end this press conference and this seemed like a good opportune moment to do so. That Harry and his family then posed for some pictures - a few including him - left Cornelius thinking these two had learned more than magic from their former mentor. Their clever manipulation of the Ministry was a feat worthy of Albus Dumbledore himself.

With the last picture taken, the press couldn't get out of there fast enough. Only the fact it was now dinner time would stop the newspapers printing special editions. Xeno Lovegood was the only reporter to hang back, he wanted a chat with his daughter. When Petunia heard that chat becoming more of an interview, she deliberately interrupted by introducing herself.

"Hello Mister Lovegood, I'm Mrs Dursley - though I suppose that should be Professor Dursley, since we're currently inside Hogwarts. I'm glad to meet you, and you can rest assured Luna will be fine when she stays with us over the holidays."

Listening to this father tell his daughter the article she would write over the holidays was now more important than ever had Petunia's arm slipping supportively around Luna - something Xeno should have already done. Petunia had witnessed first hand how Hermione being attacked had affected this girl, it would seem there would be no comforting coming from her parent. As Xeno left too, Luna attempted an explanation for his behaviour.

"Daddy always gets carried away when he's working on a big story..."

While holding Luna a little tighter, Petunia asked the question that got right to the heart of the matter. "...and how often does your father work on these big stories?"

Putting her head down, Luna couldn't answer - she didn't need to.

After checking that Harry and Hermione were going down to dinner, McGonagall began to get all of them moving in the direction of the great hall. Cornelius was having a discussion with Amelia, a privacy charm ensuring they weren't overhead. As Sirius was waiting on his fiancée, Remus took the opportunity to have a word with his best friend.

"You were very low key there regarding Snape..."

"Remus, you of all people must know I want that bastard dead. The difference now is I don't mind if it's not me who actually kills him - just as long as the job gets done. Going after Peter saw me lose a decade. That's a decade I should have spent with Ami, raising Harry, Susan and the next generation of Blacks. That's the new mature version of me talking. Put Snivilius in this room though and I'll rip his head off, before spitting down the bastard's neck."

"I believe you. I was just surprised, that's all."

"You also know Snivilius. How do you think he'll react to being dismissed out of hand like that?"

"Oh his ego will be severely dented. Livid isn't a strong enough word..." A though suddenly hit Remus. "You deliberately set out to do that!"

There might be a smile forming on Sirius' lips but that smile never reached his cold, hard eyes. "Angry people make mistakes - I should know. That fifty thousand in gold will attract the attention of people who will pick up on those mistakes. I want him hunted down like the rabid animal he is, without Ami having to have half her department tied up in the search. They have far more important work to be getting on with."

"You think Fudge will actually go for this?"

"Ami is currently telling him Harry mentioned the prophecy while waiting on Hermione recovering. He wouldn't say what it was, but she can confirm its existence in the hall of prophecy. If you were in Fudge's shoes, what would you do?"

Thinking for a moment, Remus gave the only answer he could. "With Harry now established as the wizard prophesied to defeat Voldemort, Fudge really has to support him. Neither Harry nor Amelia would go along with any scheme that Fudge might come up with to look after the couple - he really has to remove the problem. After what happened here, that's what the press will be screaming for too..."

Nodding his agreement, Sirius added his own two knuts. "We came up with this while sitting at Hermione's bedside. Harry is powerful and driven but don't underestimate his intelligence either. Dan Granger is also a very smart man, and both needed something to take their mind off the young witch lying dying on the bed. We either end this or all of us then start living on Black Island. Snape's attack took away the middle ground and imposed a timetable on us. Four of our family were meant to die in this attack, that can't and won't be ignored. Fudge really has to act, otherwise it's over for us in Britain. We can't take on Voldemort and all his death eaters too. We need the bastard isolated, his supporters facing the justice they deserve, then we have a shot at ending this."

"Just say what you need, I'll be there."

Ami came over before anymore could be said, the passion in her kiss enough to tell Sirius what was happening. "I'm going to be busy, love. You'll need to look after our family."

"I think we'll all bunk at Grimmauld until you're free again. It's big enough to handle everyone. Our lot will be giving the train a miss, we can floo from Minerva's office. You be careful." After kissing his fiancée, Sirius made a point of shaking Cornelius' hand.

"Minister, I think you're doing the right thing. It may be tough but I've no doubts our country will not only be a safer place when you're done, it will also be a better place."

As the two ministry officials left, Sirius put his hand on Remus' shoulder. "Moony, I've hardly eaten a bite for two days and my appetite seems to have returned with a vengeance. Let's go and get some dinner."

-oOoOo-

With Fawkes' perch appearing at the end of the Gryffindor table nearest to the professors, that's where the group of students headed. The shouted greetings, cheers and even some applause had Hermione blushing. Being wedged between Harry and Dudley, with Fawkes on her shoulder, gave Hermione the confidence to walk into the busy hall - and help overcome the memory of the last time she was here. The elves had added a water dish and also one containing figs and plums to Fawkes' perch - something the phoenix seemed to appreciate.

With Neville, Parvati, Padma, Susan and Luna joining the trio at the table too, and the professors only a matter of yards away, Hermione began to relax. This actually seemed strange to her, since the last thing she remembered before waking earlier was Madam Pomfrey trying to treat her in this very hall.

While that had been unbelievably painful, she could see Harry had been through the mill and Hermione couldn't wait to get him alone in her bed later. Only then would he open up, and they could perhaps start the process of putting this incident behind them.

Talking to Neville about the Longbottom Ball, and then turning Susan's attention onto a certain looming wedding managed to introduce a bit of normality into a situation that needed it. Hermione wanted things to get back to normal as quickly as possible. She knew the family would be having talks on what the future held, the current status quo being unsupportable. This might actually be their last dinner in Hogwarts, Hermione wanted to be able to look back at it with fond memories.

-oOoOo-

There was no wide smile to iron-out Snape's manufactured wrinkles today. Reading the paper in his shaking hands seemed to be adding another decade to Severus' potion projected age. The picture and headline in the Prophet were enough to manage that themselves, he hadn't actually managed to drag his gaze off that yet to read the actual article.

The picture featured a sitting Potter looking lovingly up at a standing Granger. The reason for her miraculous recovery was explained by the picture too, she was rubbing cheeks with an affectionate phoenix. Snape couldn't be a hundred percent sure but thought it was Fawkes, a Phoenix he was certain wouldn't be seen again.

The headline then left no one in any doubt what the Prophet's take on the matter was.

Phoenix Saves Chosen One's Intended after Cowardly Death Eater Attack

As he read through the article, things only got worse for Severus - much worse. Details that a prophecy existed between Potter and the Dark Lord would see the ministry fall over themselves to give the brat whatever he wanted. That Severus Snape was named as the person who passed details of that prophecy onto the Dark Lord - leading to the attack on the Potters - would certainly see a death sentence waiting on him should he return to Britain.

Reading that Potter wanted all the death eater cases reopened, with questions on their past activities being asked under truth serum, means the ministry might have serious competition in the race to kill him. All those death eaters who had used their position and gold to escape Azkaban or worse would now be cursing his name. They would certainly be firing actual curses at him if they ever managed to bring their wands to bear on his person.

Potter and Black's derogatory comments - obviously deliberately aimed at Severus - had his temper reaching white hot, only for it to be quenched by the icy hand of fear that now gripped him after reading the really scary part. If his master had some way of collecting that offered reward, Severus knew he would be all out of options - a walking dead man.

Fifty thousand galleons in gold was a fortune, a fortune anyone who knew Severus wouldn't hesitate to kill him and collect. That was a life changing sum of gold, a life ending sum for him.

It was now imperative he not only find the Dark Lord as quickly as possible, Severus needed his master restored to his own body too. While confident of his own abilities, the calibre and sheer amount of people that sum would see coming after him meant the safest place for Severus Snape was at his restored master's side. While he would never agree with any opinion Potter had, Severus' greatest skill just might be looking after his own skin.

-oOoOo-

Gilderoy's greatest talent, apart from being gifted in the use of memory charms, was sniffing out a story. One where he could silently slink in, obliviate the shit out of the real wizard or witch who had pulled off an extraordinary feat, and then pen a bestseller extolling and of course embellishing these heroic actions as his own that saved the day. This was the formula that Gilderoy had built his career on, a career that needed to be rebuilt after his disastrous stint as a Hogwarts professor.

These woods had been notorious across the magical community for having a dark presence contained within them, a very good reason for Gilderoy to normally avoid the entire area like the plague. His current situation wasn't normal however, no fan mail for months, so desperate measures were called for. Stories had reached his ears that this darkness had disappeared, Gilderoy wasn't that desperate to come within miles of here otherwise.

What he needed to do was find the person who was responsible for this darkness disappearing, share the food and wine he was carrying with this person - their portion liberally laced with veritaserium - and then the famous Gilderoy Lockhart would have his next great adventure ready to be recorded for posterity - and of course prosperity. His wand would soon have this poor fellow forgetting all about their accomplishments while the latest Gilderoy Lockhart bestseller should be hitting the book shelfs by the summer.

That timeframe should be more than sufficient enough for his trials and tribulations at Hogwarts to be forgotten about. Now all he had to do was find this person.

Sitting on a fallen tree while taking a needed drink of water, Gilderoy was left wondering just how bad this place must have been before the darkness was lifted. The atmosphere was so oppressive and threatening, he was never without his wand in his hand. The snake that moved stealthily along the tree trunk, its head resting on Gilderoy's thigh soon discovered this.

**_""Who are you?""_**

Gilderoy heard the question in his head, even though it appear to be broadcast from the poisonous snake he'd only just noticed. Panicking, a terrified Gilderoy screamed off the most powerful curse he knew - ignoring the fact that his curse must of course hit him too.

"OBLIVIATE!"

The snake acted on impulse to this attack and sank its fangs into the warm thigh, a split-second before the powerful obliviate curse hit. As might be expected, the curse left both wizard and reptile unconscious.


	30. Time for Action

**You're My Density**

A/N I am finding it harder and harder to find time to write, far less maintain any kind of posting schedule. As with all my other stories though, I promise this one will have the 'completed' box ticked too - just no promise of when that will be.

**Chapter 30 - Time for Action**

Harry awoke in what the young couple now considered their bedroom in Gryffindor Tower to the wonderful sensation of Hermione being wrapped around him. She had obviously awakened first and appeared to be worried about something. He soon discovered exactly what was troubling his intended.

"Did you have a nightmare? I know they can be triggered by events…"

A gentle kiss stopped Hermione's questions, and somewhat eased her worries, before Harry then chased them away.

"No nightmare could ever compare with what we went through since Friday dinnertime. I'll bet every member of our family who stood helplessly watching you lying on that bed would agree with me too. We got you back though, and I'm never letting you get away again…"

It was now Hermione's turn to gently kiss Harry's worries away. "It would seem like I got the better of the deal."

"I felt the pain you went through when Fawkes healed you. Your screams as Emma cut your face open will live with me forever, I can't agree you got the better of the deal. I just hope Amelia gets the rest of the death eaters behind bars. If she doesn't, we really are all out of options. Your mum and dad will insist we all get out of Britain and we really don't have a reasonable argument against doing that. We'll certainly talk about it as a family during the holidays but the ball really is in the ministry's court over this."

"I know. I was sitting at dinner last night thinking this might be the last time we do this in Hogwarts. While I would be sad to leave, you're right. Unless the ministry deals with the problem, my parents will never agree to any of us coming back here in January."

"I better get you down to see Madam Pomfrey, otherwise she won't let us leave for Christmas…"

With that, both got up to start what could be their last day in Hogwarts.

-oOoOo-

The issue of the Prophet announcing Hermione's recovery was welcomed in the great hall that morning, but not by all. The newspaper's stance on the death eaters who never stood trial was mostly ignored by the majority of the students, one of their own recovering from such a serious and life-threatening injury being far more important, but again not all. There were students in the hall who would be leaving for home today, and not knowing who or what they would find when they got there.

These students were as worried as Harry and Hermione that today might also be their last day in Hogwarts, though their reasons were certainly different. Any death eater trials could see family members shipped off to Azkaban, and that same family fined heavily. It wasn't too hard to imagine their circumstances changing drastically, and very publicly, over the holiday period.

One student who wouldn't be leaving Hogwarts, not even for Christmas, was an interested observer. Draco would be staying with his mother in the castle, he would have the entire holidays to think on why Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle or quite a few other Slytherins might not be returning in the new year. With the amount of changes hitting their world, it was beginning to seem more like a new era would soon be upon them - rather than a new year. Draco would have the holidays to think over that conclusion too.

After Madam Pomfrey had worked her particular magic on what Fawkes left of Hermione's wound, there was no scarring remaining to indicate an attack had ever taken place. They found Dudley sitting with the rest of their friends at breakfast. Knowing they would see most of them at the Longbottom Ball took away any sense of saying goodbye, though both Hermione and Harry made a point of seeking out Fred and George - as well as the other members of the Gryffindor quidditch team. They might be wishing them all the best for the holidays but it actually felt like saying goodbye.

Ginny and Colin were almost in tears just from the fact Luna wasn't having to leave for the express too, or rather because they were and she was spending the holidays with Harry. Neither Harry nor Hermione wanted to think about what state these two would be in if they thought this was the last time they would see their hero/crush.

Petunia and Dudley were actually accompanying the rest of the students out of the main doors, though not boarding the train. After clearing the wards, they would be taking the Dobby express back to Privet Drive. Dudley would need to phone Amanda, trying to explain why he dropped off the face of the planet for a few days, while Petuinia would need to discuss the Dursleys temporarily moving into Grimmauld Place with Vernon.

Sirius then led the three Grangers, Harry, Remus, Susan and Luna to the headmistress' office where they would floo to Grimmauld.

-oOoOo-

When Harry had confessed to having the nightmare where Voldemort returned, and Cedric Diggory had been murdered, Amelia had asked him for a copy of that memory from the future. She'd hoped to one day be in a position to deal with these bastards as they deserved but never expected that day to come so soon.

With Voldemort himself naming Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and Avery in that memory from the future, Amelia had a definite starting point. Her aurors had dragged their stunned carcasses out of their beds, all four raids taking place simultaneously at two in the morning. Any family present was also arrested and brought into the ministry, though more to stop the news of these arrests getting out before the four death eaters could be questioned under truth serum. This resulted in her aurors pulling off another set of raids around five a.m.

One of the names that kept getting mentioned disgusted Amelia, hence why she was standing outside a rather bleak looking house on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors. Cornelius giving her carte blanche to deal with this problem allowed Amelia to unleash her aurors on the real enemies of their country, the death eaters. She also agreed with Sirius and Harry's actions of increasing the bounty on Snape's head, freeing those same aurors to get on with the far more important job they were currently carrying out.

It was with a deep sense of pride in her aurors that Amelia watched them blast their way into the death eater's house. Knowing their target lived alone, and the number of times he had been confirmed as a death eater, meant there was no ambiguity here - or holding back. That their target was also a respected ministerial worker was what sickened her the most. With followers of this madman at the very heart of their government, and restrictions placed on what aurors could do in what effectively had been combat situations, was it any wonder they almost lost the last time.

With the all clear given by the lead auror, Amelia entered the house to find a bound and bleeding Walden Macnair lying on his own floor. He was more angry than afraid, and used Amelia as a lightning rod for that anger.

"Bones, you're finished at the ministry..."

"Shove it up your arse, Macnair. You have no idea how many of your death eater colleagues tried to feed me the same shit. Once we got some truth serum into them however, they were soon singing a different tune. Quite a few of those death eaters mentioned your name as being a fellow death eater, while under truth serum too. Here's how your Sunday is now gonna play out. You have a date with a ministry cell, and a pressing appointment for a veritaserum interrogation. By the time I'm ready to sit down and eat dinner with my family tonight, your sorry arse will be sentenced to spend the rest of your life in Azkaban. Now, tell me again how I'm finished?"

Macnair was left speechless. A nod from Amelia saw two of her aurors activate their portkey and take the prisoner away to the cell she'd promised him. It was only moments later however one of her aurors searching the property called for her to witness something that left Amelia glad she hadn't eaten anything in ages. The young auror throwing up on the carpet wasn't so lucky, nor would anyone who saw this ever blame him.

"It would seem it wasn't just dangerous creatures Macnair executed. Some of those fingers and ears look small enough to have belonged to children."

While nodding in agreement with her auror, Amelia was fighting to get her mind back into gear so this could be dealt with professionally - rather than emotionally. "No one touches this until we can get an investigation team here. We haven't anywhere near this number of missing people on our files so most, if not all of these 'trophies', must have been muggles. We might be able to close some of their files for them, but not before this bastard gets questioned and then the veil."

Witnessing the evidence of what could only be classed as atrocities Macnair must have carried out just hardened Amelia's heart, and convinced her more than ever this was the right course of action to take. She would persuade Cornelius he should be at Macnair's questioning, since Walden worked for the ministry. If what this supposed respectable citizen had been up to was even half as bad as Amelia suspected, Cornelius too would be convinced they were doing the right thing - really the only thing a respectable government could do.

-oOoOo-

After reading about the attack on the second year Gryffindor, Hermione Granger, at Hogwarts, there was a horde of anxious parents waiting to greet their children as they came off the express in London. While all were relieved their children weren't the ones attacked, that an attack was even possible - and their children had more than likely witnessed it - had the majority of those parents petitioning the Ministry of Magic to deal with the situation.

On all of platform nine and three-quarters, you would be hard pushed to find a more concerned parent than Molly Weasley. As she got her hands on each of her five children who had just exited the express, they found themselves being hugged to within an inch of their lives. Being back in her mother's embrace proved too much for Ginny as her emotions poured out with her tears.

"There, Ginny, you'll be home soon and everyone's alright. Your friends are fine..."

This just increased the rate of Ginny's tears before Molly finally got an explanation between her daughter's sobs. "It will never be alright again. While Hermione was injured I had an argument with Luna about Harry. Luna must have told Harry and Hermione because they've both looked at me differently since Hermione was cured. Luna's now spending Christmas with them, which will only make things worse. I don't know if I want to go back to Hogwarts..."

Molly was at a loss with what to say next until Arthur took over. Ginny then found herself being enveloped by the safest pair of arms in the world, her father's. His calm and steady voice got through to Ginny in a way her mother just couldn't manage.

"Hey, I'm willing to bet that Harry and Hermione weren't just looking at my favourite daughter differently. One way or another, that attack inside Hogwarts will change our country. The Minister has been getting bombarded all day with owls from parents demanding he keep their children safe while they are attending Hogwarts, at least a couple of those were sent by your mother. Harry has never hidden the fact he has other options to Britain and Hogwarts, or that his first concern is the safety of his family..."

Arthur found himself being interrupted by his twin sons.

"Bloody hell, Fred, that would explain it. We knew something was off but couldn't put our finger on it."

"I think you're right. That wasn't just have a good holiday, they were saying goodbye..."

This had Ginny's sobs returning with a vengeance and her father's arms holding her tighter. "The Minister knows this too, and won't want to lose Hogwarts most famous couple, or three of the castle's favourite professors. Rumours are all over the ministry that he's taken action, what's happening over there would seem to confirm that."

The Weasleys joined the growing number of families watching as aurors were rounding up specific children, children whose parents were conspicuous by their absence. That every one of those children was a pureblood, and all from the darker families, did not go unnoticed either.

Thinking he now had the problem well in hand, Arthur then proceeded to put his foot right in it. "Harry and Hermione will be dealing with so much at the moment, a tiff between you and Luna probably won't even make their list of concerns."

Hearing the truth in her father's words had the opposite effect on Ginny than everyone expected. Instead of taking heart from the fact Harry probably hadn't fallen out with her, she was now looking at the situation from a totally different angle. Little Ginny Weasley was so inconsequential to Harry Potter that she didn't rate him bothering about what she said or did. She thought having him and Hermione angry at her was better than that option. A now inconsolable Ginny was led from the platform by her parents.

Since some of the purebloods being escorted by the aurors were also crying, this meant that the Weasley drama passed mostly unnoticed by the rest of the people on the platform.

Molly had a fair idea what had brought on her daughter's tears but could not support Ginny's jealousy in this matter. Luna had suffered since Mia's passing, Xeno not being fit to raise dandelions - far less a daughter. Having met a lot of the people Luna would be spending Christmas with, Molly was delighted the little blonde would be assured of having a happy Christmas - probably for the first time since losing her mother.

-oOoOo-

As a clearly knackered Amelia sat at the dinner table in Grimmauld Place, trying to negotiate the minefield of what she could actually say about the ministerial goings-on since the last time she'd seen everyone here, it was Luna who interrupted.

"Madam Bones, my father is a journalist. I'm quite used to being asked to leave the room when he's meeting with someone. If you need me to leave, just say so - I won't be offended or upset."

Susan's arm draped over Luna's shoulder as she comforted their friend. "Like you, Luna, I'm used to my Aunt Amelia not being able to tell me much about what she does. I can't remember the last time I saw her as tired as she is tonight though, and her hesitation will be to make sure that tiredness doesn't see her saying something that none of us are supposed to know. Aunt, just give us what will be in the Prophet tomorrow - and then get to bed."

It was a tired smile that Amelia graced them with, she hadn't had much to smile about today. It would take a few nightcaps, and holding Sirius in bed, before there would be any chance of sleep claiming her tonight. Barbaric didn't come close to describing some of the atrocities these animals had committed - all in the name of serving their dark master.

"Susan's right everyone, I am really tired." Looking at Harry, that tired smile made another appearance. "Acting on very reliable information the ministry had received, we began rounding up death eaters and questioning them using truth serum. Those questions brought us more names so we've been very busy. The questioning will also see every single one of those bastards spending the rest of their lives in Azkaban, if they don't receive a more severe penalty than that. I could easily justify calling for the death penalty in over half of the cases, that is a decision we'll need to make when we're thinking more clearly."

"You got all of them?" An emotional Emma may have asked the question but they were all hanging on Amelia's answer.

"We have one suspect who got wind of what we were up to and fled, there is one other who was abroad at the time. Warrants have been issued for their arrest, we think we got everyone else. They are all going down, Emma, or they can find a new Head of the D.M.L.E. and we're off to Black Island. Every single member of my department was involved in this unprecedented operation. Any kind of cover-up would have to see my entire department sacked. The public would never stand for all the ministry aurors being sacked, and they'd bring down any Minister of Magic who even attempted it."

Sirius quickly agreed with his bride-to-be, adding his own take on the situation. "Today we took a giant leap forward in dealing with our death eater problem. With your lessons at Hogwarts having such a positive effect on the students of all blood denominations, I don't think I've ever been as optimistic about our society's chances of reaching the twenty-first century."

The entire family knew there would be a serious discussion happening soon to try and plan out their future. Hearing that news from Amelia and Sirius left staying in Britain on the table, not something any of them were confident of since Hermione had been attacked.

With their meeting at Gringotts scheduled for tomorrow, Harry and Hermione had always intended to call on Professor Dumbledore later. He offered to aid them any way he could, and they needed his experience to help them achieve what they needed from this meeting tomorrow. Looking at Susan and Luna, Harry also had something else he needed to ask Albus about.

When, in the middle of those discussions, Dobby appeared with news from the Hogwarts elves, their optimism crept up another couple of notches.

As to maintain the fiction that Harry and Hermione were sleeping in separate rooms, Susan and Luna were sharing a bedroom in Grimmauld. Both young witches were too excited to sleep. Tomorrow, while Sirius escorted their friends to Gringotts, Emma, Dan and Remus were planning on taking them shopping in muggle London. They had things called mobile phones that would allow Hermione to contact them when their business in the bank was finished, and they left the Leaky Cauldron. They would then get together for lunch, followed by more shopping. Neither could think of anything more exciting than that, not knowing their friends were currently planning to make this the best Christmas they ever had.

-oOoOo-

Severus recognised Rowle right off, and assumed the other three people with him were just local hired muscle. It would seem his grumbling stomach had just saved Severus' life because, even if he'd managed to fight these attackers off, that fight would bring the magical authorities down on them. Being captured by either group meant his life was forfeit.

Since spotting Rowle amongst the group outside of the seedy hostel he'd been holed up in, Severus was too close to turn and walk away - not without attracting attention to himself.

All four glanced at the old balding man who shuffled toward them. Severus' use of firewhisky as cologne, and the bottle of cheap gut-rot sticking out the top of his paper sack containing food, saw his disguise pass muster. They all ignored him after that initial glance and went back to planning their attack.

Maintaining the speed of his slow shuffle as he passed them was extremely difficult, especially when hearing that they weren't too bothered if their target was alive at the end of this - just recognisable.

Rowle being here practically confirmed for Severus that the British Ministry must have eventually cracked down on the death eaters. He wondered if this was about the reward, or Rowle looking for a bargaining chip with the Ministry. Knowing some of the crimes Thorfinn had committed in the name of the Dark Lord, Severus thought Rowle was delusional. Bones was a hard bitch at the best of times, with absolutely no mercy for death eaters. Rowle could turn up at her office with Severus Snape's head on a stick, Bones would still ensure Thorfinn spent the rest of his life in Azkaban.

The only chance for Severus, for any of them really, was the return of the dark lord. Only under his powerful protection would anyone bearing a dark mark be safe. It would seem the little time Severus thought he had was long gone.

Thanks to spending the last decade working under Dumbledore, Severus was probably now the world's most knowledgeable wizard on all things associated with the dark lord, Tom Marvelo Riddle - aka Lord Voldemort. He would have to put that knowledge to good use - post haste. He needed to first find his master, quickly followed by returning him to a body. Only then could Severus relax, as much as anyone could relax around his master.

Shuffling around the first corner he came to, Severus then sped up until he was far enough away to disapparate without arousing anyone's suspicion.

-oOoOo-

Sitting inside Gringotts while waiting on their meeting starting, Sirius had a suspicion these two were up to something. Both had their game faces on but he detected the slight confident smirk lurking in the background. Helping a shattered Ami had been his priority last night, trusting these two to handle their meeting with Albus on their own. These two still smirking while being shown into a rather plush Gringotts office had Sirius reconsidering his earlier choices. This actually felt like these two were about to pull a prank, certainly not something you wanted to do to a goblin. He hoped that was the very first thing Albus had managed to get across to this pair of jokers.

After bowing in greeting to the goblin holding this meeting, and accepting the offered seating, Harry got straight to the point.

"We are here today to offer the hand of friendship to our goblin neighbours. At the very least I'm hoping that we share a common enemy, the self-proclaimed Dark Lord, Voldemort. The muggles have a saying, 'the enemy of mine enemy is my friend'. It is the hope of achieving at least this understanding that sees us sitting here today. I have information on how Voldemort cheated death that we're willing to share, along with a tried and trusted method of how to end this bastard once and for all. By sheer good fortune I am able to offer you, and anyone else you need to see this, a demonstration of just how mad and evil this sick bastard is by destroying one of the items he made to anchor himself to this world."

They didn't know if shocking a goblin into silence was a good thing or not. Sirius wasn't much help either. His wide-eyed stare of panic confirmed he had put the pieces of information together, but there was no indication of whether he approved of their tactics or not on his face.

In the end, Harry was left with no choice but to push on with their chosen course of action. "While I'm happy for this demonstration to take place anywhere you wish, with whoever you want witnessing this, I must insist the item never leaves our sight until its evil taint is destroyed. After that, you are more than welcome to have the item examined by anyone you wish."

The goblin sitting there knew at once this was way above his authority, this would have to go to the very top. Luckily, the necessary goblins were already gathered - awaiting to hear what this meeting produced. He had only a couple of questions before he would need to take this matter to those gathered superiors.

"This tainted object you speak of, the taint is from the dark one?"

Harry's 'yes' saw the goblin getting visibly angry. "You brought such a vile thing into our bank?"

"No, and we won't bring it here without your permission. Our friend, Dobby, is awaiting our call. He will then bring the object from its current location inside Hogwarts to wherever you decide upon. We didn't want this thing in our home either."

With a nod of understanding and appreciation, the goblin excused himself for a few minutes. This was Sirius' cue to start getting some answers.

"The Hogwarts elves found one?"

Hermione had sat quietly, letting Harry deal with the goblins. She could answer Sirius' questions though. "The express probably hadn't left Hogsmeade before the Hogwarts elves turned their attention to searching the castle for this. Dobby popped in with the news last night, while we were talking with Dumbledore too. Albus thought offering the goblins the chance to witness one of these being destroyed would get them onside and searching death eater vaults for any more of these. You saw that goblin's reaction when he thought we'd brought this one into the bank..."

At that, the goblin in question returned. It would seem their meeting was being moved to another room. This was a much larger and grander room, more like a conference suite, and they certainly needed the extra space for the eight goblins who were waiting on them. They recognised some of the goblins here who had been at Dumbledore's funeral, Ragnok introduced himself as the person in charge before inviting them to sit and continue their tale.

Harry started by stating an opinion. "I would just like to say that these things are as abhorrent to us as they seem to be to you. Dumbledore, my intended and I have been on a mission to destroy each and every one of these that we could find. I will show my trust in our goblin friends by revealing it was one of these items that killed Dumbledore. The dark one has placed protections on these items he created, it caught Dumbledore unawares. Once the trap had been sprung, Albus knew taking time to destroy the dark one's taint would cost him any chance of saving himself. You were at his funeral so you know what choice he made. Along with the item that cost Albus his life, we have also already destroyed another two - prior to today's discovery. This one, discovered hidden inside the castle by the Hogwarts elves, will be the fourth of this madman's items we will destroy..."

The entire room clearly understood what was being talked about here, though Albus had cautioned them against using the word horcrux unless it was uttered by a goblin first.

Staring at Harry, Ragnok cut straight to the chase. "You requested this meeting, you obviously require something from Gringotts. Spit it out and let's see what we are dealing with."

"As I said, we have been hunting these abominations for a while - Dumbledore a lot longer before including us. Our search revealed the dark one had trusted a loyal follower with one of his disgusting 'treasures'. It has been found, destroyed, and Lucius Malfoy will die in Azkaban. It left us with the questions, if one follower was trusted - why not two? Also, where do witches and wizards think the safest place in Britain is to store their treasure?"

Had he chucked a hand grenade amongst those listening goblins, Harry didn't think he could have gotten a more extreme reaction. They were up on their feet, some with blades already in their hands. Ragnok had guessed this was why they were visiting Gringotts before the trio had entered and took control of the room with a deep roar. The other goblins now silenced, he once more directed his attention at Harry.

"Can I assume you wish us to search suspected death eater vaults?"

Having been advised to be as truthful as possible, Harry also followed Ragnok's words and spat it all out. There could be no room for misunderstandings here.

"You will have read I am the one prophesied to face Voldemort. Hearing that has the Ministry of Magic dealing with all the death eaters who slipped through the cracks. In this room alone, there are now more goblins who know how Voldemort survived than there are those inside the ministry. I stand ready to face Voldemort but we all know he can't be killed while any of these vile things still exist. I have already faced him twice, defeating him and yet his spirit has escaped intact both times We all need him dead to get on with our lives, I am asking for goblin help to achieve this..."

A couple of growled questions from behind Ragnok saw the goblin leader nod and translate what was asked into English. "We would like to see your proof, and your method of destruction, before we deliberate on our decision. Can the destruction take place in this room?"

The size of this room made it far preferable than the original office they had been shown into so Harry nodded his agreement "Our elven friends from Hogwarts have informed us the object is a diadem, one that has a very strong compulsion charm to entice anyone who comes near to put it on. Hermione has the strongest occlumency shields and will drop some basilisk venom on..."

"The hell she will - I'll do it."

Turning, Harry faced down his godfather. "Sirius, you show Amelia the respect she deserves every time she leaves for work. Hermione taught me occlumency, she's far better at this than me. The three of us will be keeping a very close eye on her."

Addressing Ragnok once more, Harry again made sure there could be no misunderstandings here. "Sir, no one can approach my intended while she is performing this very dangerous task. Keeping a safe distance away while the item is destroyed is also advisable for everyone in this room. You will all clearly see the taint leave the item and are welcome to study it as much as you wish once it has been destroyed. Had Albus taken support with him that day, it would be him standing here making this request."

Understanding exactly what was being said, anyone approaching the witch would be neutralised, it was Ragnok's turn to nod in agreement. "Lord Potter, you have our permission to proceed."

With Sirius hovering behind him, Harry faced his intended and held both Hermione's hands as she centred herself. A few moments later, Hermione indicated she was ready. Dobby appeared and levitated the diadem onto the end of the massive table nearest Hermione. He then handed her dragon skin gauntlets that came up past her elbows before holding out the small vial of basilisk venom.

Everyone in the room could feel the evil force this thing was radiating, though its attack was soon concentrated on Hermione. She faltered after taking the full effect of the horcrux probing her defences, only for Harry's hands on her shoulders to give her the confidence and strength she needed to complete this task. With Harry behind her, Sirius and Dobby on either side, Hermione knew she could do this.

Her hand hardly shook and the first drop landed on the diadem's centre stone. Hermione was about to try another drop when tiny cracks began to appear on the large gemstone, that was Harry's cue to pull her back from there. Sirius and Dobby then stood in front of the young couple, all the while the four were retreating as far away from the object as the room allowed.

The goblin contingent mirrored their actions and watched with horrified fascination as black smoke started seeping from the gem. The noise began almost as a low hum, one that soon escalated to screaming as more of the black smoke escaped and formed a mouth. It wasn't until there was enough smoke leeched out to form eyes too that this dark apparition became somewhat sentient, at least sentient enough to start hurling threats and curses at all those witnessing its destruction.

"Fools, I will kill all of you for this. I am Lord Voldemort, the most feared dark lord in history. People fear to say my name..."

"Hey Tom. I'm not frightened, and you're full of shit. Do us all a favour and try dying with some dignity, instead of letting everyone see the rabid animal you've become."

"Who dares say that name?"

An angry Harry had pushed past Sirius to face this thing, though not going close enough to be in any danger. "I dare! I'm Harry Potter, the wizard prophesied to put an end to you once and for all."

"That's not possible, you're a mere boy..."

No sooner had the last of the smoke leeched from the gem to fully form the head than it began collapsing in on itself. Sirius then pulled Harry back as Dobby formed a magical shield around the smoke and diadem. The explosion when it came actually knocked Dobby onto his bum, while his shield had protected everyone else. The table and diadem weren't so lucky however. It appeared as if a four foot bite had been taken out of the table while the diadem was now a twisted and mangled wreck.

As Dobby was getting back to his feet, Harry had his arms wrapped around Hermione. Sirius though was very angry that she had been put in danger. "Dan will flay you alive for this, then Emma will kill you off. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking this was something Hermione needed to do, more for herself than anything else..." Harry was then interrupted by his intended.

"Sirius, this was my idea. Harry took some persuading, and we decided not to try convincing the rest of the family. We were on a time limit, this had to be done today. It was dealt with, we're all still here, and I promise not to do it again. Dobby, are you alright?"

"Dobby is fine, though a nap would be good."

Hermione knelt and kissed the top of his head. "Go home and have Darla take care of you." He waited until Hermione had given him back the gauntlets and the little venom they had remaining before Dobby popped away.

The goblin contingent had of course been having their own very heated discussions on what they had just witnessed. One of them had the remains of the diadem held at the end of a pikestaff, none of them wanted to go closer than that to this item. It would appear though their discussions were now over, with Ragnok approaching the trio and bowing.

"Lord Potter, Miss Granger, it would seem the Ministry of Magic were correct in recognising your bravery. Thank you for ridding the world of that disgusting taint, I feel dirty just having witnessed that. The only way to cleanse that dirty feeling will be to ensure there are none of these monstrosities hidden away in our bank. You have my word that a search of our vaults is now a top priority, and any found will be destroyed using the method Miss Granger so ably demonstrated. We will contact you as soon as there is any news. Anyone stupid enough to have brought such an item into our bank will see all their possessions confiscated - let them complain to your ministry about it if they wish."

A pleased Harry quickly agreed with that judgement, and he didn't think the ministry would become involved. "Sir, any vault that contains one of these, their owner will in all probability not be in a position to complain about your actions. Thanks to the ministry taking action, they will be in Azkaban - or dead."

This had the remaining goblins banging what was left of the table to show they supported that last outcome.

The trio had barely left the steps of Gringotts when Hermione spun into Harry's arms and the clearly jubilant couple kissed in celebration.

Sirius though still wasn't happy, and let his displeasure out to play. "What the hell were you thinking of in there."

His displeasure crashing against Hermione's happiness however was simply a no-contest, the wide grin she was wearing a clear signal of which emotion had won. She started them walking again before explaining to Sirius what they had just pulled off.

"Going to your island would allow us to live, but not live our lives the way we want to. Our only hope of being able to do that was getting the goblins on board, unless you fancy trying to break into Gringotts and robbing some vaults? Vaults that we don't even know who they might belong to, far less where they are."

"What my wonderful girl is trying to say is we spent last night with Albus and Dobby, going over every move we made in there today. Albus said goblins like a show, we gave them one. We even considered Fawkes flaming in with the diadem but needed Dobby there…"

"Dobby kinda insisted he was going to be there, whether we asked Fawkes or not. He is rather protective of us…"

"After that night in Hogwarts, he won't let Hermione out of his sight. Yes we took a risk, but it was a calculated one. Albus told us the goblins value honesty, courage and honour, we gave them all three today. Ragnok went from growling at us to spit out why we were there to bowing and calling us by our titles. The goblins will now hopefully find what we think is the last piece of the puzzle, leaving the bastard mortal. Next time we put him down, he stays down."

Seeing this side of his godson had Sirius asking a question. "Are you okay with that, Harry?"

He tried to explain his view on the matter to Sirius. "When you have a rabid dog, there really is only one option. It's incurable, so has to be put down before it can infect anything else. Do you think Voldemort can be rehabilitated?"

Looking at his godson as if he was crazy saw Harry smiling back at Sirius. "Let's go and have some lunch with our family, then shop for a few Christmas presents for our wonderful ladies. The New Year is now looking a whole lot better than it was just a few days ago, so let's all celebrate that."

Hermione was already on Harry's arm, Sirius offering the witch his too saw the three of them heading for the Leaky Cauldron - and then muggle London.


	31. One Last Chance

**You're my Density**

A/N this is only the second time I've written 'chapter 31', it doesn't seem that long since I started writing this. On the subject of time, I'd like to wish Alix33 a happy birthday for later in the week. I would never give a lady's age away, just say she's a couple of decades younger than me...

**Chapter 31 - One Last Chance**

Changes to Britain's magical society were normally introduced at a snail's pace, and then only if that introduction couldn't be sidetracked or possibly derailed altogether. The new classes at Hogwarts only affected students in first and second year, with the Christmas holidays being the first chance most parents of those students had to hear about how those changes affected them. Those changes however weren't receiving any attention from parents whatsoever, not when held up against what else was very publicly unfolding in their country.

Citizens who a mere week ago had been cloaked in respectability now had the masks they'd once worn exposed for everyone to see what lurked beneath. Some of the deeds they had performed whilst hiding their identities behind those masks started a public outcry for the death penalty to be their Ministry's final solution to the Death Eater problem, except in one special case.

The mountain of irrefutable evidence against Walden Macnair guaranteed the case against him was airtight, and no sane person anywhere in the country could argue against him receiving the death penalty - right up until the muggle government became heavily involved. They wanted to get their hands on this serial killer so badly that immense political pressure was immediately brought to bear on the ministry. Since a fair few of his victims had been muggle children, that was actually a response the Ministry of Magic certainly understood - though for legitimate security reasons couldn't fully support.

Having discovered by the administration of truth serum exactly how dangerous and deranged Macnair actually was, Amelia dug her heels in and wouldn't shift her position about handing him over to the muggle authorities. Even the slightest chance of this psychopath one day escaping was not something she could put her name to. Eventually a compromise was reached that suited everyone involved, Macnair's opinion not withstanding.

Macnair was sentenced to be kissed by a dementor, and then his soulless husk would be handed over to the muggle authorities. Their government's cover story would be Macnair had suffered an aneurysm in his brain. This aneurysm not only caused his present irreversible condition but lead directly to the discovery of his 'trophies' when the police and ambulance services supposedly arrived at his door. Amelia was satisfied a kissed Macnair would never hurt anyone again and the muggles had a prisoner to publicly pin all those now solved cases on. Everyone was happy with that result, again with the exception of Walden Macnair. He would never feel emotions again.

The Daily Prophet actually ran the story that had been printed in the muggle press about this case - banner headlines on front pages named Macnair as The Beast of Britain - to give their own readers some idea of just how wide and far reaching this wizard's depraved acts had been. Pictures of parents crying because their child's murderer had finally faced justice crossed the magical / muggle divide. Anyone who had a son or daughter couldn't help but feel their pain.

Headline after headline in their own press also couldn't help but emphasise their hidden and perpetually enduring world would simply never be the same again. As more and more details became publicly available about what these wizards and witches had done in the name of pureblood supremacy, people's attitudes became more and more accepting of the previously foreign concept that their world simply had to change.

No one wanted to live in a country where acts like this were allowed to happen, far less encouraged by a select and financially powerful section of their society. While there would always remain those witches and wizards who thought they were better than others, simply from their circumstances of birth, a clear line had rather graphically and forcefully been drawn regarding how far that bigotry could now be taken.

When you had a ministry who were prepared to sentence purebloods to life in Azkaban, a dementor's kiss or even the death penalty, few if any would ever cross that line again. Maintaining your freedom, soul or life was a massive incentive for rapid behavioural modification, and a hell off a deterrent to ensure a group like the Death Eaters would never put roots down in Britain again.

-oOoOo-

Luna was lying in bed considering some of those same headlines, and comparing them unfavourably against the story she was supposed to write for her father. Apart from the fact she was staying with Lord Black, and not in the muggle home of the Grangers, she wondered who would want to read a piece like that now. It certainly wouldn't be the scoop her father had been hoping for.

With muggle shopping trips, seeing a pantomime inside an actual theatre and spending all her time with her friends, Luna had easily been having the best holiday she could remember. The possibility of ending up with a story not worth printing, and seeing her father's disappointment at that, being the only cloud on her horizon.

Today was Christmas Eve, with the Dursleys due to arrive in Grimmauld this afternoon. Tomorrow being Christmas, and also the Longbottom Ball, was then followed two days later by Sirius and Amelia's wedding. She was lying in bed awake because Luna's excitement levels were currently off any scale she had ever used to measure this rare emotion before. The knock at their bedroom door saw Luna sitting up, only to discover Susan had been awake too.

They opened the door to find Harry and Hermione standing there.

"I know it's early but we really needed to talk with you." Seeing the worried looks he was getting, Harry then tried to reassure both girls. "While it's obviously important, nothing is wrong."

As the girls sat on their beds, Hermione deliberately was sitting right beside Luna while Harry now had his arm around Susan's shoulders before telling them why they were here.

"You both saw Professor Dumbledore's ghost in the infirmary. On his deathbed, he gave me a means to contact him if we really needed his help. The same night he gave it to me, I wondered if this 'means' would allow me to contact others who had passed on - it did."

Luna immediately jumped a couple of steps ahead of Harry, having heard stories of what she suspected this 'means' was since being a little girl on her father's knee. "Dumbledore gave you the resurrection stone? Father always suspected the headmaster of having at least one of the Hallows."

Her arm tightened around the little blonde as Hermione spoke to their young friend. "Luna, that's not something we want known - outside our family. Certainly not by someone who publishes a newspaper."

"It's okay, Hermione, I would never tell my father about this. He's been obsessed by the Hallows since well before I was born. If he ever found out Harry had one, you wouldn't get a moment's peace..."

Hermione then let slip something they could all see, but no one had spoken of before now. "He's too busy obsessing over everything going on around him to pay attention to the most important thing in his life. If he did, he couldn't miss the wonderful witch his daughter is growing into."

An embarrassed Luna snuggled into Hermione while Susan moved the attention away from her by asking Harry a couple of questions.

"Resurrection Stone? Hallow? I'm perfectly willing to admit I'm not a morning person but I feel as if I'm still sleeping here. Is this one of those stupid dreams you get, just before you wake up?"

"You're awake and not dreaming, sis. It was Amelia who told us about this, mentioning a children's story about three brothers…"

Susan struggled to believe what Harry was saying. "That's real?"

"Most stories have an element of truth in them. When I was given the stone, you can probably guess who I summoned. It was wonderful, and also very painful. I wasn't prepared to see my mum and dad, far less ready to say goodbye to them again. It was so painful for everyone involved, we all agreed to make it no more than an annual event. I intend to call them tonight, and wanted to offer the both of you the chance to talk with the people closest to you that have been lost..."

A tearful Luna shot out of Hermione's grasp and was soon wrapped around Harry with the seeming intention of never letting go. She appeared incapable of speech so a smiling Hermione answered for her. "I think Luna is saying yes..."

Her head vigorously nodding in agreement saw their attention switching to a shocked Susan. After a few moments of silence, Susan voiced the dilemma she was facing.

"I understand Luna's reaction, and I'm so happy for her. I'm more like Harry though. I'm not even sure if the memories I have of my parents are real, or something I've built myself over years of listening to my Aunt Amelia talking about them. I really don't know what to do. What if they didn't like who I've grown up to be?"

Passing a still emotional Luna back to Hermione, Harry then took the girl who was becoming his sister into his arms. "They won't like you, Susan, they'll love you. As you can imagine I just jumped right into the situation, with no thoughts or preparations whatsoever. As I said, it was one of the worst and best experiences of my life. I can't really give you any advice, but I will say I am so looking forward to seeing them again tonight. I wanted to give both of you that chance, and also some time to prepare."

Taking another few moments to think, Susan could really only come up with one answer. "I actually don't know how I could refuse this offer, though I'm now excited and terrified at the same time."

Harry wiped the few tears that were now running down her cheeks and smiled. "You'll be surrounded by family tonight, a family that loves you. That's what got me through the experience of meeting my mum and dad, and we'll all be there for you and Luna tonight. Let's go and have some breakfast, you can think about what you're going to say to them during the day..."

"How can you even think of food at a time like this?" With comic timing par excellence, Harry's stomach managed a loud growl to answer that question on its own. This had all three girls giggling, and also moving. Susan might not be able to eat anything but she certainly wanted to catch her Aunt Amelia before she headed off to the ministry. Tonight the number of Bones' in the country would, for however briefly, double. Then again, in that same time period, the number of Potters in Britain were going to treble.

-oOoOo-

Dudley never thought he'd be excited about going to school during the holidays. Then again, it wasn't thoughts of school that had him excited. Amanda's father was the school caretaker so had a house on the grounds. It was thoughts of visiting Amanda that were causing Dudley's excitement, an excitement that climbed as the Dursleys drew closer to their destination.

George Ketteridge invited the Dursleys into his home, Amanda had the tea ready while Dudley handled the introductions. Dudley had shown his mother a picture of Amanda but this get-together was the first time they'd met face-to-face, and Petunia was liking what she saw. In a matter of minutes she was able to deduce Amanda was lovely, had manners and was smitten with her Dudley.

Her father was a different matter, though Petunia figured any father of a girl as lovely as Amanda was always going to be protective. The man looked average - height, build, appearance. That was until you took a closer look at those icy blue eyes, eyes that missed nothing. Dudley had mentioned George was former military and you could see that even in the way he manoeuvred the conversation, it felt like a flanking movement.

"I understand you and Dudley had to go and visit your nephew's girlfriend, something about her being attacked? Is she all right now?"

"Oh yes, terrible business. She's fine now though, we're leaving from here to spend Christmas with her family and Harry."

With barely an eyebrow raised at that, George was instantly hunting for more information from Petunia. "Hermione, rather a strange name that. Can't imagine there would be too many of them going about."

"I have to admit I had never heard of it before…" Petunia was halted miid-sentence by George dropping a copy of the Daily Prophet onto the coffee table. It was from a few days ago with Harry and Hermione's picture on the front page as the headlines screamed Hermione had been attacked. While it couldn't have weighed a pound, that newspaper hitting the table was a shock needing the Richter Scale to measure its magnitude.

"The one thing I won't stand for is people lying to me, or to my family."

Seeing the affect this was having on Dudley, his boy was almost in tears, Vernon waded right in to rebut George's accusations.

"If you have access to that newspaper then you must also know the restrictions placed on those who can read it against those who can't. There were no lies told by any of my family. It clearly says there Hermione was attacked, Petunia and Dudley left for Scotland at once. You must also know the restrictions staying in the castle places on those trying to contact anyone supposedly unaware of its existence."

The more he thought about this, the more Vernon's temper climbed. 'You are the one standing there with knowledge we didn't know you possessed, yet you seemingly knew who we were. I want to know exactly what is going on here, before I call for some reinforcements to make sure we get those answers. Our family has already been attacked, we won't let it happen again."

That they were sitting around a comfortable living room and sipping tea seemed so at odds with the conversation they were having. George's eyes were practically twinkling with mischief as he looked over the rim of his cup, there was also a disarming smile on his lips as he then sat the cup down.

"Did Dudley tell you how he and my Amanda became close? No, I didn't think so. Any other lad would be crowing about it but your Dudley can add modesty to his many charms.."

This change of tact had floored Vernon and Petunia, just as George had intended it to. "My Amanda hasn't had it easy, losing her mother at a young age and then being raised in an all male environment. A couple of those Smelting males were trying to chat her up, and being rather insistent about it, when your Dudley intervened. He stood beside my Amanda and told the bigger and older boys to both leave her alone. They weren't inclined to do so and a fight ensued. He stood his ground, and my Amanda has been taught how to look after herself too. These two got enough licks in that the pair buggered off, though I made sure the school punished them for harassing Amanda. Both Amanda and I like your boy, we can see he's the right sort. It's this connection to the magical world that has us concerned, I swore my family would have nothing more to do with them."

Amanda came over and refilled her father's cup, standing behind his chair with her hand on his shoulder. George reached up and held his daughter's hand, knowing this next bit would be painful for both of them.

"I am a squib, born into a family of purebloods. They at least raised me until I was of age to join the army, then I was shown the door. I've never been back, Neither Amanda nor I would be welcome there. It was while I was in the army I met and married my Amanda, with this one here coming along two and a half years later. Life was very good for us, until my Amanda took ill."

Amanda now had her father's hand in both of hers. "The thing is, I knew the magical world had a cure for my wife. I went to St Mungo's pleading for their help, they eventually summoned aurors to remove me from the hospital. I was a squib, my wife was a muggle - we were less than nothing to them. Thanks to your nephew, their war was over but very little had changed. I buried my Amanda, opted out of the army on compassionate grounds and got this job here so I could raise my daughter. The army is no place for a three year old girl without a mother."

She bent down and kissed her father's cheek before returning to sit beside Dudley. George actually smiled at the young couple. "I still have friends in the army who keep in touch, and some of them are squibs too. I started reading about all the changes happening in the magical world in their letters, before picking a copy of the Prophet up for myself. It was hard to believe what I was reading, things like this just didn't happen in a society run by the purebloods. I walked into Gringotts and changed fifty quid into knuts. The witches and wizards in the queue building up behind me were all complaining, which just made the goblin count those coins slower. We now get the Prophet delivered daily. It wasn't hard to work out who Dudley's cousin Harry was, especially throwing in the name Hermione too. We now have to see where we go from here?"

Petunia thought she knew exactly how to answer that, so she did. "For many years I loathed everything about magic, including my nephew who was living with us. I blamed magic for taking my sister away from me, and Lily for letting it happen. Having visited Hogwarts, I now understand Lily didn't have a chance. We are implementing programmes though to put an end to families being torn apart when not all of them are magical. Had Amanda been a witch, you would have been able to visit Hogwarts on our open day and see for yourself how she was fitting into her new life. I say 'our' because I am now a part-time professor at Hogwarts. If that doesn't tell you how much things have changed, nothing will."

"Mr Ketteridge." After sitting quietly and listening, he felt it was time to say something here. All eyes were now fixed on Dudley.

"It was around this time last year I first met Hermione, we didn't hit it off then. During the summer when she stayed at our house with Harry I really got to know her. She and Harry changed my life. Hermione is now more than a friend, she's family. My heart was breaking watching her lying there dying, I don't know how Harry managed to stay sane. This was a deliberate attempt to murder her and Harry, with only a miracle saving us from losing Hermione. Me, my mum and dad will be siting down with the rest of the family over the holidays to figure out what we do next. Is it time for us to leave Britain? Time to let the witches and wizards all deal with their own mess?"

This had Amanda grabbing his arm. "You're leaving Smeltings? Leaving Britain?"

"I really don't know, but my vote would be to stay. If you get the Prophet delivered then you must know how the Ministry of Magic has responded to this attack. Harry and Hermione leaving now would see all those positive changes crumble. Hermione's parents and my mum are the three professors pushing the changes at Hogwarts, Neville's gran too…"

All could see Dudley just had an idea, they didn't have to wait long to find out what it was. "Sir, may I have your permission to show how much things have changed?"

"Just what are we talking about here, son?"

"I need to call a friend first, to check if this is actually possible. Dobby?"

Dudley could feel his hand being squeezed, confirming his friend had arrived but remained invisible. "Dobby, Amanda and her father know about magic. It's okay…"

The elf appeared and an excited Dudley couldn't wait to speak about the idea he'd just had. "Since Amanda knows about magic, could you ask Harry if she could go with us to Augusta's ball tomorrow night?"

As Dobby popped away to speak to Harry, Amanda had a question of her own.

"You were going to a ball tomorrow?" The young girl's tone told everyone the question she threw at Dudley was really 'you were going to a ball - without telling me?'. Amanda's question had Dudley floundering, leaving his mother to answer for him.

"He was originally missing Sirius and Amelia's wedding, because that's when he would be staying here, and that's one event I'm sure there will be no problem inviting you to."

Dudley quickly agreed with his mother. "I would much rather go with you, and I didn't know you knew anything about magic…"

At that, Dobby had returned. "Darla is at the Longbottoms asking for permission but Sirius invited Miss Amanda to his wedding. Hermione wondered if you had spoken to Miss Amanda about dresses, Harry fell about laughing at that…"

Darla appeared and confirmed Amanda would be welcome at the ball, allowing Dobby to offer Hermione's suggestion.

"If your mum and dad drop you and Miss Amanda at the Leaky Cauldron, the gang will be waiting to take you both shopping. Dobby will bring Miss Amanda home, from today's shopping and the ball."

Turning his attention to a gobsmacked George, Dudley was once more confident in himself as he asked an important question. "Sir, may I have your permission to take your daughter to the Longbottom Family Ball tomorrow evening? Lord Black's wedding to Madam Amelia Bones is the twenty seventh of December, we can of course wait until after the ball to make arrangements for that."

While easily seeing his daughter was desperate for him to say yes, George had a lifetime of experiences telling him this was not a good idea. He had trouble believing that the daughter of a squib and a muggle would be made welcome at an event that would see the cream of Britain's magical society attending. "Are you sure Amanda will be okay?"

Dudley couldn't hold his laugh at that, leaving his mother once more having to answer for her son. "This will be a formal occasion, so Amanda's gown - like mine and Emma Granger's - will have the crests of the Potter and Black house on them. My nephew and his intended will also have to wear their Orders of Merlin, First Class. Your daughter will be treated with the utmost respect by everyone at both events. To do otherwise would invite the ire of not only our host, herself a formidable lady, but two powerful houses as well."

George nodding his agreement saw Amanda hug Dudley and then jump into her father's arms. "Thank you so much, Daddy."

"I'll need to go to the bank…" George found himself being interrupted by the most unlikely source. He'd never seen a house elf who acted like this before.

"Dobby is to tell sir that Lord Potter will be meeting all expenses for these events. Miss Amanda is a guest of his family, allowing her to wear those house crests. Everyone is really looking forward to meeting her."

Amanda baulked a bit at that until Dudley took her hand. "They are very nice people who will love you. They may be magical, have titles and medals, but they don't act any different to you or me."

Surprisingly enough, it was actually Vernon who supported his son's point of view. "I can honestly say they are a smashing bunch of kids, and our Dudley has certainly benefited from their friendship. You still wouldn't get me behind Harry on a broom though…"

This had the other two Dursleys laughing, until Dudley explained they had both flown with Harry at Hogwarts. Dudley was also sure Amanda could be added to their group, next time they visited Hogwarts to watch Harry play quidditch. Amanda was still holding Dudley's hand while her father held her other arm, meaning she couldn't pinch herself. It turned out there wasn't time as she now had to head off to be fitted with a dress for a ball. She practically floated out the room and into the Dursleys' car, Dobby once more reiterating his promise to George that he would bring her home when they had finished shopping.

George wasn't sure how today's meeting with Dudley and his family would go. This had worried him since a blind man could see his Amanda was sweet on the lad, a lad he himself liked. Never in his wildest dreams though did he envisage the outcome he'd just witnessed. Time would tell who was right but he had to concede the other people in his house today were more up to date on the current state of British wizarding society than he was. Considering those other people were three muggles, that in itself told a story he was struggling to believe.

-oOoOo-

Stealth was simply not an option for Severus. The hard frost covering everything for as far as the eye could see meant that every step he took was accompanied by a crunch of frozen fallen leaves or brittle blades of grass crumbling below his boots. The frozen forest actually looked beautiful in the weak December sunshine, the clear skies ensuring that the mercury had slipped well below freezing last night. Severus had no time to stand and admire the beauty that surrounded him however, he only had about six hours of daylight in which to search for his master. The frost also brought an advantage to Severus too, the underfoot conditions making it a lot harder for anyone else to sneak up on him.

In the crystal clear air, the smell of woodsmoke was clearly discernible. This was forcing Severus to make a choice. Did he approach whoever had built the fire, or avoid them at all costs? Knowing his master's affinity with snakes, and that any snake would need to either hibernate or find a source of heat in this cold snap, he decided to have a look at this fire.

Severus could hear a couple of voices as he approached, the noise they were making allowing him to get close enough to see without his presence being detected. There was a person lying on the ground, Severus suspected they may be injured but was far more interested in pinpointing the source of the other voice he could clearly hear.

The person was lying alongside a fallen tree, with a small fire in front of him. A pack containing supplies was also close, leaving Severus to wonder just how long this dirty and disheveled person had been in this position. Listening to the voices bickering like children reinforced his initial impression that this was no bounty hunter, rather just someone severely down on his luck. Whilst not being able to spot where the second voice was coming from, Severus didn't get any sense that this situation was dangerous to him. He still approached with caution, and his wand was already in his hand.

The person lying there finally heard his approach.

"Hello? Is anyone there? We need help here?"

_"Who's there? Are you shouting at shadows again?"_

"Shadows don't make a noise and I clearly heard someone approaching. Hello?"

Severus stepped into view. "Hello, who are you - and where is your friend?"

"Oh am I glad to see you, see anyone…"

_"At least you can see, I spend all day staring at this bloody fallen tree. Turn around and let me look too."_

"We tried giving you a shot at the front. The fire almost went out and we don't have any matches left."

_"It's not my fault, your arms are on backward…"_

The man on the ground turned as much as his injury would permit him, allowing Severus a glimpse of the face growing out the back of his head. A glimpse was more than enough for Severus to recognise who it was, and immediately drop to his knees. "Master, what happened to you?"

_"See, I have a name. Master is so much better than that Hubert you were calling me."_

"You sounded like a Hubert to me."

_"What does a Hubert sound like?"_

"You!"

_"Yet you think you're a Troy? How did that come about?"_

"Could someone please tell me what happened here?" Severus found himself having to use his professor voice. This entire situation was surreal, it was like dealing with a couple of squabbling first years.

"I don't really know. I woke up here and it was getting dark, I don't like the dark."

_"Terrified of it, more like."_

"Then I met Hubert here..."

_"Master."_

"...and invited him to keep me company. I don't know what happened after that but we ended up like this."

Almost growling now, Severus asked again. "Who are you, and how did you come to be lying in this forest?"

"I told you, we don't know. We don't know who we are or how we got here. Can you help us, please?"

From kneeling, Severus was now sitting back on his haunches with his head in his hands. Through his fingers he spotted the burnt end of a wand at the edge of their fire. This offered a glimmer of hope, at least this imbecile must be a wizard. Severus using his wand to scan for injuries had this wizard almost crawling under the fallen tree, much to his passenger's indignation.

"What are you doing?"

_"What the hell are you doing? I just got a face full of bark."_

"Quiet, both of you. I'm trying to help."

That at least shut them up, though what his wand was telling him left Severus even more confused. 'Troy' had been bitten by something that had injected venom into his leg. While that leg was dead and nothing could be done with it, how the poison didn't kill this person was a mystery. He could only surmise the dark lord's affinity to snakes had inadvertently staved off that outcome, his joining with this host however wasn't nearly enough to save the leg. The fallen tree had provided the pair with some shelter from any wind or rain. The longish branch used to draw firewood to them had not only kept them alive, it had wiped out any signs and hope of Severus discovering what might have happened here.

One thing was sure though, whatever happened had happened very close to where they lay. No one would be able to travel far on that leg. It would also appear both had been obliviated to the point where they couldn't even remember their own names. Severus had never seen the spell used to such a powerful degree, and on the dark lord too.

From their mannerisms and tone as they answered his questions, Severus suspected some of the food or drink they had been consuming could be tainted with truth serum. Since veritaserium was colourless, tasteless and odourless, he had no way of checking whether their responses were chemically or environmentally produced. They were strangely calm considering their current dire situation. Lying here, seriously injured in the cold, was certainly no Sunday picnic.

While picking up pieces of wood from outwith their reach to build up the meagre fire, Severus was also trying to gather his thoughts. Since the dark lord who had previously terrorised countries, and was supposed to be Severus' protector, couldn't remember his own name, a part of him thought to build the fire up and just sit back waiting to be captured. The current weather conditions were conjuring an apt analogy for Severus. He was stranded on thin ice, with cracks now reaching toward him.

What kept running through his mind though was one particularly disturbing thought, it wouldn't give him any peace. If he hadn't attacked Potter and his mudblood, Severus Snape would now be a free wizard. Dumbledore was dead and the dark lord no more than a mindless scab on the back of this moron's head.

Any physical or spell damage to a person's memory was usually irreversible, Potter being a recent case in point. With practically all of those memories which make us who we are apparently lost to both residents of this body, the chances of Lord Voldemort ever returning were for all intents and purposes nil.

When two wizards used a wand as firewood, rather than a means of summoning wood and setting it alight, what hope was there left? Even killing this body and dragging it back to Britain wouldn't do him any favours. The best he could hope for when dealing with Bones would be spending the rest of his life in Azkaban.

Severus had diligently done his homework and mapped out a ritual to return his master to the dark lord's former glory. Even his master's current host's interference in those plans could be discounted. Severus was always going to have to find a host to get his master's spirit back to Britain, and he couldn't see any way 'Troy' would have the strength of will to influence the dark ritual in any way whatsoever.

Sitting staring into the flickering flames, while tuning out the constant drivel coming from the forest's diametric version of Laurel and Hardy, Severus gradually distilled his future down to two possible choices. He could spend whatever was left of his short life running and hiding, or he could go for the long shot gamble of hoping the dark ritual would repair his master's mind while supplying a new body.

Since Severus knew he would eventually be caught, there were fifty thousand golden reasons why the hunters would never stop their pursuit, he was now clutching at the flimsiest excuse to lean toward the other option. No wizard had ever cheated death before, surely his master could overcome this small setback? His mind finally deluded into thinking this ritual was a sure thing, Severus now had to figure out a method of smuggling a two-headed one-legged man from here to Britain.

Casting a stunning spell at the unsuspecting 'Troy', Severus welcomed the silence. That leg would have to come off and, just in case his master did regain his memories, he thought it prudent to cast a stunner before the severing charm.

He would have to move quickly, and not just while amputating this leg. He was hoping the holidays would see a degree of laxness seeping into the people they had to sneak past. Severus hoped they would be so full of good cheer, hangover potions would be required the following day.

-oOoOo-

George had to concede the little elf was as good as his word, bringing home a wide-eyed and hyper excited Amanda. His daughter was talking a mile a minute, describing what she had seen and the people she'd met.

"Oh daddy, they couldn't have been any nicer. Hermione, Susan and Luna were really friendly to me, and I'll meet more of their friends at the ball. Wait until you see my gown, it's beautiful!"

Seeing his little girl standing there holding an exquisite gown in front of her actually had tears welling in the corner of the old soldier's eyes. "It's not just the gown that's beautiful, my little girl is growing up so fast..."

Sitting her gown down on the sofa, Amanda sprang into her father's arms. "Daddy, thank you so much - for everything. I understand why you left that world behind but you should have seen it. Everyone knew who Harry and Hermione were. Just by being in their company the rest of us were instantly accepted. They were being treated almost like royalty yet both are as down to earth as we are. I was certainly being stared at, but it was more like the people doing the staring wanted to join us - not throw us out of there."

"The Dursleys seem like nice people, and you know I like Dudley. That was why I agreed to you attending the ball. I think your mother's necklace would look good with that gown..."

"The one your mother gave you?"

"It was meant to be worn on occasions like this, and your mother would certainly approve of you wearing it to your first ball." George felt his daughter's arms tighten around him as his heart swelled with how much he loved this girl. He loved her so much George was prepared to do something he swore he never would, give Britain's magical society one last chance.

-oOoOo-

Luna knew there were wrapped presents nestling below the large Christmas Tree with her name on them but nothing could ever compare to this gift. Emma's arms were wrapped around her as she tried to speak through the tears to her mother.

The woman Luna adored thanking her daughter for making those last few moments of her life as pleasant as they could possibly be released a pain she'd been carrying around ever since the accident. Luna knew there were other conversations going on around the room but all her attention was focused on the spirit in front of her.

There were also lots of tears being shed all around but she hoped her friends were experiencing the same positive feelings as her. These were cleansing tears Luna was crying - right up until her mother said it was time for her to leave. Luna now understood exactly what Harry had meant, this was both the most wonderful and yet painful experience of her life. She would certainly do it again, though just not for a while.


	32. Christmas Cheer

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 32 - Christmas Cheer**

The ship's steward thought he'd seen everything in his nine years working aboard ferries, he was wrong. Christmas Eve in Rotterdam was a new first. The basketweave bathchair looked as if it should be in a museum. Then again, its occupant and the person pushing this forerunner to the modern wheelchair wouldn't have looked out of place as exhibits in the same museum display.

The confundus charm on their documentation ensured they passed muster though so he showed them to their cabin, informing them they could ring for cabin service if they didn't want to make their way to the dining area. He couldn't see any way that antique chair would fit around any of the tables upstairs, it nearly didn't fit in the cabin.

With thanks, but certainly no tip, the steward was dismissed.

Severus was sure his use of the confundus charm would not be picked up, it was too innocuous for any ministry to scan for. By comparison, he had cast the imperius on his charge just before apparating them away from the forest. His master's host, Severus refused to call him Troy, now missing a leg necessitated the transfiguration of the chair. Their clothes too had been transfigured to more muggle appropriate attire.

Casting a sleeping charm on the chair's occupants, Severus then stretched out on the cabin's bed. While time-consuming when compared to magical methods, the muggles had refined travelling to an art form. The cabin was very comfortable and they would get a meal delivered later.

The increased vibrations running through the ship indicated the ferry was getting ready to depart, and the crossing to Hull would take twelve hours. They would be arriving in Hull at around eight on Christmas morning. Severus didn't think there was any chance whatsoever of the Ministry having Hull ferry port watched, especially not for incoming traffic. Severus Snape returning to Britain was utter madness, and he was counting rather heavily on that fact above everything else so there would be no reception committee on the dock.

While confident the Ministry wouldn't be there, he had to hope there was no bounty hunters who had taken a gamble on him doing something crazy like this though. His disguise as an old muggle pushing an invalid friend around should stand up to everything except the most severe scrutiny. Severus would just have to be extra vigilant and not give himself away.

-oOoOo-

The atmosphere inside number twelve Grimmauld Place on Christmas morning was certainly a lot merrier than anything the Black residence was used to. The experience of meeting their family spirits last night had been a positive one for all involved. Luna was practically bouncing off the walls with happiness, Petunia wore a wide smile that nothing was going to shift and Susan was currently wedged between Amelia and Sirius. Susan's parents had actually approved of Sirius becoming the father figure their daughter needed, giving the marauder another reason to smile - not that he needed one. Compared to previous Christmases, the only one that came anywhere close to being as good as this was Harry's first.

When presents were being handed out and unwrapped, the party atmosphere just increased in intensity. Dobby popping away and returning with a regal owl caught everyone's attention, as did the seal on the letter it was carrying.

"The owl would not let Dobby remove its letter, only Harry can remove and open it."

Leaning forward, Harry untied the letter and offered the magnificent bird an owl treat. Its acceptance of both acts saw Dobby taking it back to the owl delivery point of number twelve. In the silence that had developed, the sound of the Gringotts wax seal being broken was clearly heard. As was Harry's intake of breath as he read the letter.

"Harry, is everything okay?"

Harry's voice was barely above a whisper as he answered. "No, Sirius. Things are not okay, they're bloody fantastic!" Harry handed the letter to his godfather before reaching for Hermione.

It wasn't long before Sirius let out a whoop of delight, grabbing Amelia and Susan while dancing about like someone had dropped a live crab down his trousers. He soon announced to the entire room why he was so happy.

"The goblins found one and it's gone - they're all gone!"

This really did kick the party into high gear until Sirius noticed Susan and Luna didn't have a clue why everyone was so happy. He tried to tell them what had just happened, without giving too much away.

"I know these two trust you both, but this is a massive secret that can't be spoken of except with the people currently in this house. The reason Voldemort didn't die when he attacked baby Harry, and again at the summer in Hogwarts, was because he had carried out dark rituals to anchor himself to this plain of life. These two had been working with Dumbledore to destroy them, and the goblins just finished the job for us. Next time Voldemort becomes a wraith there's no road back for him - it'll finally be all over."

While madness was breaking out all around her, there were even two house elves kissing under the mistletoe, Luna's gaze fixed on her best friends. Like a rock jutting out from a raging torrent, the madness seemed to pass over or around them without any visible affect. Even Dudley patting both on the back to congratulate them didn't appear to break the bubble of calm that surrounded the couple. They were oblivious to everything and everyone around them.

Hermione was sitting on Harry's lap, their foreheads touching. The enormity of what they had achieved was crashing over them, blocking out everything but the person in their embrace. Both had tears forming in their eyes as they spoke softly to each other.

"'You're sure that's the last one?" They had gone over this many times but Harry just wanted confirmation. Hermione saying yes once more would be good enough for him.

"Albus was certain. All the research he'd done in the years he had studied this problem pointed to that being the last one. If we can't trust that to be right, then we need to head to Black Island before the New Year. I have nothing else, Harry. I just can't believe we've pulled it off."

"Do I still need to fight Voldemort?"

"With no anchors left, I think his spirit will cross over. If he's currently possessing something or someone, the next time he leaves should be the end of Voldemort. I want him to die alone and unmourned, and not just for revenge. If that happens then we have a chance at a semi-normal life. If you have to fight him, the Ministry will be coming up with a new award to present you with. The Noble Order of the Harry?"

The absurdity of that suggestion, and the possibility there could even some truth in it, actually had him smiling. "If they called this supposed award after you, I would gladly accept it and proudly tell the world why. After all, you are by far the bravest person I've ever known. While we can't broadcast the real reason, the amount of lives you've changed and people you've saved deserve you to be recognised in some way…"

"I'm not looking for recognition, Harry, never have been. All I ever wanted was to be able to spend the rest of my life with the person I love, anything other than that is simply a bonus. If you publicly become the boy-who-conquered, none of us will ever get a moment's peace again."

An exuberant Emma finally intruded into their private little world. She had her arms wrapped around both of them and the tears she was crying were clearly happy ones. She and Dan had spent many an evening discussing this exact situation with the pair, they were well versed on what they thought the outcome would now be. The mere suggestion that Voldemort could be gone, without Harry having to fight him, was the reason for her tears of relief. Everyone in the room understood Hermione would be right beside Harry if that fight ever took place. The relief Emma was feeling that neither of them might have to face that awful outcome was overwhelming.

The crowd from Grimmauld would be attending the Longbottom Ball tonight in the mood to celebrate.

-oOoOo-

Sitting in the Hogwarts Great Hall, surrounded by professors, was not how Draco had envisaged spending his Christmas morning. Looking at the two older Slytherin students though, he wasn't for complaining. They had left on the Hogwarts express, only to be met on platform nine and three quarters by aurors. Since their parents had been arrested, and no one had come forward to take them in, the Ministry had eventually returned them to Hogwarts. Their tuition was paid until the end of the summer term, giving them, the school and Ministry of Magic some time to sort out what happened next.

His mother had been relentlessly harping on at Draco, reiterating at every opportunity how much things were changing. Given the evidence presented daily in the Prophet, and the two Slytherins left with nowhere to go bar Hogwarts, Draco's arguments against his mother's constant rants were crumbling like a sandcastle on a beach left facing an incoming tide.

Draco had heard from Pansy too, and that letter brought those changes home like nothing else before it. Her father had been arrested and aurors had escorted Pansy from the platform to a Ministry holding cell that contained her mother. She had spent a couple of hours there before they were both released. Her father had already confessed under truth serum to crimes that would see him spend the rest of his life in Azkaban.

Everyone who had been convicted also had their Gringotts vault frozen while the Ministry deliberated on imposing fines against them too. The Parkinson mother and daughter weren't having a very merry Christmas either.

All in all, Draco had to concede that he had a lot less reason to complain than most of his friends. His mother's job had at least allowed her to buy him a gift for Christmas, and they would both sit down together to a sumptuous Hogwarts feast later. His father's behaviour over the last year meant that neither Draco or Cissi missed his presence today, or any other day for that matter. Compared to most of the darker purebloods, Draco thought he and his mother were actually doing quite well.

-oOoOo-

With a corsage in his hand, Dudley took the elf express to pick up Amanda for tonight's ball. His first sight of his girlfriend though had Dudley's brain closing down.

"Miss Amanda, Dobby thinks you look lovely tonight. Dobby is sure Dudley thinks that too, and will say so soon."

That Dobby's elbow then dug into Dudley's thigh started Amanda giggling. it was this, more than the dunt from Dobby, that finally rebooted Dudley's brain.

"I certainly do think you look lovely tonight, you took my breath away." Dudley then kissed Amanda on the cheek, wished her a Merry Christmas and offered his corsage for her wrist.

George watched this scene with a mixture of pride and apprehension. He let his pride show, saving his apprehension for when they both left. He really wouldn't settle until Amanda was back home safe and sound.

-oOoOo-

Severus was starting to actually believe he was going to pull this whole improbable thing off. He'd wheeled his charge straight through the meagre muggle authorities' presence in Hull, they were barely given a second glance. Slipping in between two parked large lorries hid them from sight long enough for the portkey to do its job and whisk them to their final destination. Trying to enter the country illegally by this method would set off all sorts of alarms and see the D.M.L.E. trying to track them. A portkey leaving Hull Harbour for another part of England wouldn't even raise a ministerial eyebrow, especially on Christmas Day.

Discovering the potions ingredients Severus had previously prepared and hidden, along with all the equipment needed, undisturbed and waiting on him was another major worry that could be crossed off his list. Severus had carefully considered the 'blood of an enemy' problem and was quite pleased at his proposed solution. He was ecstatic that getting his hands on the wizard he'd chosen to represent the enemy had proven to be child's play, leading to his current state of heightened optimism.

Now if only he didn't think a silencing charm would interfere with the ritual, Severus might actually be looking forward to this.

The memoryless Lockhart had still been terrified while being wheeled through an old graveyard in the pitch darkness. The only source of light visible appeared to be a fire they seemed to be heading for. He was appalled though at hearing what he was required to do next. "You want me to take ALL my clothes off? Are you mental - it's bloody freezing!"

_"It's not that bad…"_

"Shut it, Hubert. It's my bits that will be dropping off with the cold."

Severus keep thinking this must be what having twin toddlers was like, he tried to humour them as such. "I've set up a large hot bath for you. It has special potions that will help heal your stump. I'm then going to try some magic that will hopefully get your memories back too, and get master a body of his own."

"A hot bath - why didn't you say so. Wheel me right to it."

_"Just remember I'm back here when you're soaking in the tub. I don't want to drown while you're washing the little hair you've got left."_

After levitating the now naked host into a giant cauldron full of gently bubbling potion, Severus did his best to tune their banal banter out. He had a ritual to concentrate on.

"BONE OF THE FATHER, UNKNOWINGLY GIVEN, YOU WILL RENEW YOUR SON!"

"What did you say? Bloody Hell - that grave is opening. Don't put that shit in here - are you crazy?"

_"What's going on? Turn round so I can see…"_

Gilderoy did turn around, there was no way he wanted to watch what was happening in front of him. The soil covering an old grave had erupted and a bone shot out the hole that had been created. For some reason Gilderoy recognised the bone as a humerus but there was certainly nothing funny about this situation as it splashed into the hot water. He spun away from what he was seeing and, firmly gripping the rim of this rather strange tub, began to vomit over the edge. This now gave his visitor on the back of his head a perfect view of exactly what else was happening.

Severus had spent many, many hours carefully considering this next section of the ritual. While he was willing to sacrifice a bit of himself to see his master return, he really didn't want to sacrifice a bit that he might actually need. Sacrificing a hand was out of the question, he certainly needed both of his to brew even the simplest of potions. He drew the sharp knife from its sheath while steeling his resolve.

"FLESH OF THE SERVANT, WILLINGLY SACRIFICED, YOU WILL REVIVE YOUR MASTER."

The face growing out the back of Gilderoy's head was now wishing that he could turn away. Voldemort's voice became higher and shriller as he witnessed Snape deliberately mutilate himself.

_'What are you doing with that knife? Oh no, he is crazy. The silly fool just deliberately cut off his own ear. Don't put that in here…Aggh…"_

Gilderoy really didn't want to ask the question but also needed to know the answer. "Is…is there now an ear floating in here with us?"

Voldemort couldn't take his eyes off the ear that was now floating on the bubbling water. The panic in his voice was unmistakeable. _"YES! And I can't use your hands to get it out of here. You need to turn around…"_

Gilder's eyebrows shot toward his receiving hairline. "You want me to turn around and scoop his ear out of here - not a bloody chance. We need to get ourselves out of this tub but I can't seem to get anything to work…"

The pain he was experiencing from cutting off his ear was a lot more intense than Severus had expected, and he wasn't impressed with the ritual's reaction to his sacrifice either. The ritual should at least have shut these two up by this point. He had no other option however than to see this through to the end. Severus made his way over to collect the final ingredient.

"BLOOD OF THE ENEMY, FORCIBLY TAKEN…" Severus wondered if cutting his ear off had a far more severe reaction that he thought possible, since an impossible voice just stopped his knife before it reached the figure on the ground.

The loud and angry command rang around the graveyard. "Severus Snape, don't you dare touch him."

-oOoOo-

Amanda was having a wonderful time, she actually felt like a princess in a fairy tale. The 'house' this ball was being held in would easily qualify as a mansion in any description Amanda would later give of it. What house had its own ballroom?

She met a lot more of their friends and every single one had greeted her with a smile. They all knew Dudley and being introduced as his girlfriend was all it took to be instantly accepted. Amanda was a smart girl and soon noticed the family keeping an eye on her. That this was purely to ensure she had a good time, and therefore her father's worries would be groundless, allowed her to relax and really enjoy herself.

Amanda was actually dancing with Harry, further enhancing those fairy tale notions. Here was she, little Amanda Kettering, dancing with a handsome Lord with his society's highest award for bravery pinned to his stunning robes. Again though, just being Dudley's girlfriend had Harry as interested in her as she was in him. Amanda smiled as her own price danced past with his mother when the evening began its journey to hell in a hand basket.

An angry Dobby popped onto the dance floor, right beside Harry, and wasn't too bothered who else heard his message.

"The trap has sprung, it's Snape. Dobby needs to take you there quickly before he gets away. Snape attacked Dobby's family, Dobby want's him caught and punished."

Hermione had been dancing with her father but has instantly made her way toward Harry. "Dobby, can you change my dress to something less conspicuous…"

A snap of the elf's fingers saw Hermione's light blue dress become black jeans and a roll neck sweater. Her high heels were now black trainers and Hermione's Order of Merlin was rather emotionally handed to her mother for safekeeping. Harry's was also handed over to Emma while Dobby changed his white shirt to black as more of the family joined them.

Sirius and Remus were also transfiguring their clothes to something more suitable for sneaking up on someone, Amelia was doing the same as she asked a quick question. "I'm assuming I don't have time to call for backup?"

Harry was every bit as angry at Snape as Dobby, he wanted there to be no chance of the bastard getting away tonight. "Amelia, we have the chance to end this entire thing tonight. It's a chance that will only be available for a moment or two. Once Snape discovers he's been played…"

No more needed said, the death eater would be out of there as quickly as he could. Hermione and Harry were more than ready to end this tonight.

"There will be five of us, and our secret weapon. This will only work if we go now - and stick to the plan."

The dance had of course stopped as all the guests were now watching what was unfolding in the middle of the floor. There wasn't even time for hugs from their family, a few pats on the back for encouragement and support having to do for now - though Harry spotted Neville next to them.

"Nev…"

Harry didn't need to say any more to their best friend. "It's Snape, go! We'll take care of your family."

As the five cast disillusionment charms on themselves, Darla popped in to help Dobby take the five of them away to the graveyard.

This seemed to leave a hole in the middle of the ball as Augusta began to get things back under her control. Basil thought this was his opportunity, probably the only one he was going to get. Approaching Amanda, he asked his question.

"Excuse me, Miss. I hope you don't mind me asking but where did you get that necklace?"

While neither Lords Black or Potter were present, Basil was still not going to have an easy time of it. Augusta was not about to let one of her guests be harassed, especially since she had some idea what the group who had just left were trying to do.

"Basil Ketteridge, I want to know why you're asking one of my guests a question like that. I'm telling you now, I'd better like your answer."

"Forgive me, Madam Longbottom. I only wished to enquirer why this lovely young lady was wearing one of my family's heirlooms around her neck."

A faint smile tugged at Augusta's lips as she provided the information that was being sought here. "Perhaps, Basil, had you asked to be introduced you might have saved yourself the embarrassment of putting your foot right in your mouth. Basil Ketteridge, may I introduce Amanda Ketteridge."

While fingering her necklace, Amanda answered the man's original question. "My father gave me this necklace, he said his mother gave it to him as a keepsake..."

It seemed to hit both of them at the same time. Basil held out his hand and Amanda cautiously took it, only to have her hand gently turned around and her knuckles kissed. "That necklace deserves to be worn by a beautiful girl, you, Miss Amanda easily do it justice. Could you please tell your father that his Uncle Basil said hello. George was always one of my more sensible nephews. Actually, he is the only nephew I have left. Those that brought disgrace to the family by following a certain madman have been disowned. Please also tell him I'm now head of the family, and I couldn't be happier with the company his daughter is keeping."

Releasing Amanda's hand, Basil returned his attention to their host. "Madam Longbottom, I hope you understand my enquiry and will forgive my breach of etiquette. In my defence I will say that those house crests Miss Ketteridge is proudly wearing are intimidating enough, without Lords Black and Potter actually being here. I don't know where they've gone but I'm delighted and relieved not to be the person they're targeting. Those were some pretty intense individuals who just left..."

Basil had trailed off as the group had just been approached by a pair of aurors.

"Excuse me, Madam Longbottom, is Madam Bones here?"

"She just left. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Looking at the Longbottom matriarch, the lead auror's stomach fell. He had hoped his boss would pass on this terrible news. "I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, Madam Longbottom, especially on Christmas Day, but St. Mungo's security has been breached. While your daughter-in-law is fine, your son is missing - presumed taken by persons unknown."

Neville let out a croak more akin to Trevor before his knees appeared to give way. His arm had been around Parvati and she struggled to keep him upright until Dudley and Vernon grabbed an arm each. Parvati led the group over to a chair where they got Neville settled.

Dan, Emma and Petunia were trying to comfort Augusta, seeing her grandson in such distress though pulled her back from any form of breakdown. She led all of them over to Neville.

"Gran, we just saw them this morning. How could this happen? Why would anyone want to take my dad? Haven't they suffered enough?"

Those were the final clues that allowed Dan to be the first to put it all together. He was well aquatinted with the trap that apparently had just been sprung, and the components needed for the ritual that was obviously being attempted. "Oh shit, Snape!"

That name alone was enough to galvanise Parvati into action, she was now kneeling in front of Neville. "Nev, listen to me. If Snape has your dad, he'll soon be back with you. We know what Harry and Hermione can do, and this time they have plenty of experienced help. Whatever Snape has planned, they're already a step ahead of him. He's going down and your dad will be safe..."

It was actually Augusta who sought reassurance from that. "Are you sure..."

Neville replied as he drew Parvati up and onto his lap. "Gran, if Snape has dad then Harry and Hermione will bring him home. And here was me thinking I couldn't hate that greasy bastard any more than I already did."

Augusta wrapped both in a hug, thinking more and more that Neville chose his friends and girlfriend well.

Basil made himself useful by passing the news that Frank Longbottom had just been kidnapped from St. Mungo's around the guests. While a few of her close friends made a point to stop and offer Augusta their support, everyone accepted that the ball was now over and made their way home.

Augusta sat with their group around her as they offered support to each other, it was now a waiting game. They could only wait on the rest of their group returning safely, and hopefully with some very good news too.

-oOoOo-

A single rivulet of blood had negotiated its way from Severus' mutilated ear, worked under his collar and was now running down his back. It was strangely spreading warmth as it went along, strange because Severus thought that voice had chilled his blood to ice. Turning his head, there was the only woman he'd ever loved - standing with her hands on her hips and a grade one Evans scowl on her face.

"Lily?"

"Don't you 'Lily' me. What were you thinking, using an unforgivable on my future daughter-in-law's parents to try and murder Harry and Hermione. If that wasn't bad enough, you're standing there with a knife ready to attack poor, helpless Frank. What the fuck happened to the boy who used to be my friend?"

Severus really had only one answer to that. "You left..."

He never said another word as seven stunners slammed into the death eater from all different directions - one actually passing right through Lily. Dobby and Darla soon had Snape disarmed and trussed up so tightly he could barely breathe.

Remus checked on Frank while Sirius and Amelia responded to the pleading cries of help that were coming from the giant cauldron. Harry and Hermione took the time to thank Lily for helping.

"That was great, mum. We could have rode in here on the backs of elephants and Snape wouldn't have noticed."

"I am just glad of any opportunity to help you both..."

"Harry, Hermione, you need to see this." Sirius' shout had Lily tagging along to see what had gotten the marauder so excited. The Riddle bones had been replaced so there was never any danger of the ritual actually working. They discovered a wizard they both still recognised sitting leaning against a headstone while wrapped in a conjured blanket.

"How did Lockhart get mixed up in this?"

"Wait, Hermione, it get's better." Sirius' words had barely been spoken when he was interrupted by an unseen voice.

_"Stop hogging the front. I want to thank our rescuers too."_

As Gilderoy turned around, they got a look at Voldemort.

_"Thank you so much. That nutter was throwing bits of body in beside us, and even cut off his own ear to do the same with. He was approaching that other gentleman with that vicious looking knife, you got here just in time. I heard you say Lockhart, do you know us? My sharing friend here called me Hubert while that nutter called me master. Do you know who we are? Please say if you do, we can't remember anything."_

A shocked Harry managed to get a few words out. "Your name is Tom..."

_"Tom? Really? Oh I like that so much better than Hubert. What about him, I assume it's not Troy?"_

Again it was Harry who answered, everyone else was too busy savouring the delicious irony of Tom liking his name. "Close, but no. It's Gilderoy."

At that, they were then faced with the king of the obliviators who was grinning like a loon. "Gilderoy, oh I like that. Hi Tom, I'm Gilderoy."

They took a few steps back while the two faces sharing one head chatted away to each other.

"Is this for real?"

Harry's question hung there until Hermione attempted to answer. "Obliviate was the only spell Lockhart could really do, but he was also incredibly good at it. He actually managed to wipe every memory he ever had when trying to cast the spell with a broken wand. Those memories were lost forever."

Shaking his head Harry voiced their problem. "I could end this just by touching Tom. To be honest though, right now that would feel like I was murdering someone who was helpless. Please give me some other options because we can't walk away from here without them."

Knowing this was really aimed at her, Amelia did her best to ally their genuine concerns. "First, we get this checked to see if those memories are really gone. Second, sharing a body like this is unsustainable for any prolonged measure of time. There's no way we'll be feeding unicorn's blood to Riddle so they can maintain this. Any research will be to see if they can be separated, sparing Lockhart's life. Personally I think this problem will solve itself in at most a couple of months."

"Neither can live while the other survives, I can live with a solution where my son doesn't have to murder someone..."

Hermione had been wound tighter than any watch from the instant that Dobby had appeared at the ball. Hearing Lily say 'she could live with' started a bout of giggling that soon was out of control. While joining in the laughter, Sirius caught Lily's eye and realised she'd done that deliberately to ease the tension. He made the gesture of doffing his hat to Lily while she concentrated on the young couple currently wrapped in each other's arms.

Remus led a shuffling Frank, now also wrapped in a blanket, over to them as Lily sighed. "Sometimes I think James and I got the better of the bargain. We're together, can talk with our family and I got to help them tonight. My time is up though so I need to go. I hope to see everyone next Christmas so have a good year.

As Lily faded away, it was time to get down to business.

"We're taking Snape in, and really need to take the memory-less twins with us. Frank should really go straight back to St Mungo's..."

Harry wasn't happy with that last bit. "Amelia, I think we should take him back to Augusta and Neville, just in case he's been reported missing. I would also like to thank Remus for being here tonight. I was so angry my stunner missed Snape. Good shooting, Moony."

Catching on immediately, Hermione confirmed her stunner had missed too.

The big smile Dobby wore was in complete contrast to what he was saying. "House Elves would be in great trouble if the ministry discovered they had fired spells at a wizard. Dobby and Darla hope no one is going to say they hit Snape with stunners..."

Trying to hold back his laughter, Sirius added to the conspiracy. "Really well done, Moony. There's no way I could have held myself to just a stunner, I would have taken Snape's head off. That's why I didn't fire any spells."

Amelia then gave what would become the official version of tonight's events. "I certainly hit Snape with a stunner. As Head of the D.L.M.E. however, I must disqualify myself from any reward. I was only doing my job. That leaves Remus John Lupin as the capturer of the wanted death eater, Severus Snape. I will put his name forward for the corresponding reward..."

"What..." Sirius and Harry slapping Remus on the back and offering their congratulations had Remus almost growling. "This is bullshit..."

Hermione logically tore that to shreds. "None of the rest of us can claim it, it has to be you. Harry and I have had quite enough of being held up as the heroes, it's someone else's turn. While this is not an Order of Merlin, Remus, fifty thousand galleons can certainly change your life."

"Moony, this is not charity. Both Harry and I would have been happy to see that money go to anyone who captured Snape, we're delighted to see it go to you. We saw Susan's parents, Luna's mum, James and Lily - if that doesn't tell you life is short then I don't know what will. Take the gold and live the life you want..."

With the decision made, Remus would need to accompany Amelia and Sirius back to the ministry with their two prisoners.

Dobby and Darla took their charges and Frank back to the ball.

-oOoOo-

The group left in Longbottom Manor were sitting conversing in whispers, if at all. Time seemed to move very slowly until a couple of house elves arrived bearing very welcome guests.

With a shout of 'Dad!', Neville flew out his seat and was the first to reach them. His arms were wrapped around his father and Neville didn't seem to be for letting go anytime soon.

While hugs were being exchanged, Harry made straight for Susan. "Everyone is fine. They're taking the prisoners to the Ministry, that's why they didn't come back with us. It's over, Susan. Snape and Voldemort are now in a Ministry cell."

Augusta led them all through to a comfortable sitting room, not quite managing to hold back the tears as she sat her son in his once favourite chair. Neville approached his two best friends and pulled both of them into a hug. "Guys, there aren't any words that can say how much this means to me..."

"Nev, your dad was taken because the ritual Snape was trying required an enemy of Voldemort. Even in his current condition, your dad still qualifies. That's what the name Longbottom means, and we're proud to have you as our friend. We had an idea of how his followers could bring Voldemort back. We made sure it couldn't happen and Dobby had elven wards up to warn us if someone attempted it. Tonight, we ended it."

As they were now all sitting, Harry and Hermione began to tell the story of what had happened tonight. They had an attentive audience until a gasp from Amanda alerted them something was wrong.

"Look at the time, my dad will be starting to worry..."

Dobby immediately offered to take her home, with Dudley saying he would accompany his girlfriend. After their goodbyes, a Luna who had sat quietly listening offered a suggestion.

"We all know Harry and Hermione hate the limelight. Everyone who was at this ball tonight saw them rush away, people will put those facts together to paint whatever picture they want. What if we painted a different picture?"

Now that she had everyone's attention, Luna pitched her idea. It was greeted with total silence, right up until Hermione burst into a fit of giggles for the second time that night. As more and more laughter joined Hermione's, suggestions embellishing Luna's original idea kept being put forward. Darla eventually supplied the little blonde with parchment and ink to note the best of these suggestions down. Figuring out what the best suggestions were was rather easy, they were greeted with howls of laughter.

Her father was expecting Luna to write a story about spending Christmas with Harry and Hermione. Instead, she intended to give him one that would rock magical Britain to its very foundations - and sell every copy he could possibly print. All this, while helping her friends too, would make this a great Christmas for Luna.


	33. Our Destiny

**You're My Density**

**Chapter 33 - Our Destiny**

With both kids standing there talking a mile a minute from excitement, George made a snap decision. Dobby was soon back with more than just a simple yes or no however. He had a proposal for George and, rather anticipating the answer from Amanda's father, an overnight bag for Dudley.

"The family were wondering if Dudley might want to stay here not just for tonight, but until the wedding? Dobby will pop back with wedding clothes for Dudley and Miss Amanda tomorrow, and then pick them up on the morning of the wedding."

With two pair of hopeful eyes staring at him, George was always going to say yes. Now it was time to sit these two down and discover just what happened tonight at the ball.

It was a pleasant few hours the three spent chatting before George realised just how late it had become and declared it was time for bed. Showing Dudley the fold-down bed in the box room was interrupted by Amanda boldly striding in and, with her arms around Dudley's neck, gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. She thanked him for a wonderful evening, before repeating the procedure with her father. George's kiss was on the cheek but the happiness he saw shining from his daughter's eyes was the best Christmas present she could give him.

"Thank you for letting me go tonight, dad. I know it wasn't easy for you but I was treated like family. Trust me on this, no one there wanted to mess with the Potter or Black families. I felt really safe, it was just like the way you always watch over me."

Knowing he was far too emotional for sleep at the moment, George returned to the living room and sat in his favourite armchair. Tonight had opened a lot of old wounds George had thought long since healed over. In terms of things he needed to deal with, he divided the kids' experiences of tonight into three distinct parts.

The first was obviously the ball itself. There was no question both Amanda and Dudley had really enjoyed themselves, and been well looked after while doing so. The second part was a lot more troublesome, and had George considering something he swore never to do.

If his Uncle Basil was now head of the family, that meant his Grandfather was gone. The old man had ruled the Ketterings with a fist of iron, and his word was law. Uncle Basil was always the most liberal of the three Kettering siblings. With his Aunt Margaret marrying into the Nott family, and his own father dying when George was eleven, Uncle Basil was really the only option to head the Ketterings after the old man popped his clogs. If, as his uncle had indicated to Amanda, George was the only nephew left then the Kettering family was in grave danger of dying out.

While his Uncle Basil was a liberal, the last thing he would want would be to see the family dying out. Watching Amanda dancing around the floor, wearing a Kettering heirloom while sporting the Potter and Black house crests would certainly have garnered his attention.

George was considering contacting his mother, perhaps even dropping a picture of her as yet unknown granddaughter in the note. That was as far as he was prepared to go though. His Amanda wasn't yet fourteen so George was just beginning to accept a boyfriend being on the scene. He wasn't ready to think much further than that, and would certainly never entertain any notion that anyone - other than Amanda - would choose who that boyfriend would be.

Even before these radical changes in their society, female squibs historical had an easier time of it than their male counterparts. With these changes, who knew where things would end up. Should anyone come sniffing around Amanda with a betrothal in mind, he would ask the young lord his Amanda thought so highly of to represent them - rather than his Uncle Basil. Dudley's cousin would surely honour Amanda's wishes and tell them to get lost, George wasn't so confident his uncle would do the same.

The third part of the evening was, quite simply unbelievable. If the Potters and Blacks had not only captured Snape but put an end to Voldemort for good, they would be practically magical royalty in Britain when that news broke. Amanda insisting they were just like normal teens, and treated her the same, was a massive plus as far as George was concerned. Young Lord Potter was clearly a wizard who believed in doing the honourable thing.

It went without needing said that the Potters and Blacks outranked the Ketterings in Britain's magical society - by a wide margin too. Uncle Basil wouldn't be able to object if Lord Potter was looking after any future magical dealings Amanda may have.

-oOoOo-

With Remus, Sirius and Amelia spending most of the night in the ministry, and everyone else remaining at the Longbottoms until the wee small hours, it was well into the afternoon before the people staying in Grimmauld got together to compare stories - and prepare for tomorrow's wedding.

Harry kicked things off by jokingly congratulating Remus for his capture of Snape, leaving the werewolf less than amused.

"Amelia spun that fiction you lot came up with last night and that is now the official version of events. One signature and all that gold was transferred into my Gringotts account. I can't keep it…"

While his last comment was instantly being rubbished by the entire room, Emma moved over to sit on the arm of Remus' chair. Taking his hand, she waited until the room had quietened down before saying what was on her mind.

"I have had nightmares almost every night over what that man forced me to do to my daughter. Last night, I cried myself to sleep in Dan's arms. That being said, even in this room I'm not the only person to have suffered at the hands of that bastard. Knowing he's going to be dealt with might see me finally beating this thing. That a thoroughly honest and decent man can gain from this too is something to be applauded. In any situation it always helps if you can see the good in it. Until now, I was really struggling to do that. Amelia, I'm assuming he will be dealt with?"

"Oh that's a certainty. He's just been recently released from Azkaban yet used an unforgivable curse to attack Houses Potter, Black and then kidnapped an injured auror, Frank Longbottom, from St. Mungo's. All this while trying to resurrect Voldemort - he won't see the New Year." While this was welcome news, Amelia wanted to know how the other group had faired. "Was Augusta and Neville okay?"

Hermione was first to answer Amelia's question. "That the worst thing Frank endured at the hands of Snape was being cold settled his mother and son very quickly. Having his dad sitting in a chair by the fire held Neville's attention for the rest of the night. Frank fell asleep in that chair but Augusta just tucked his blankets tighter. I got the feeling she and Neville would be sitting beside him for the rest of the night, before returning him to St Mungo's this morning."

Harry then had a question for those who had taken the prisoners to the ministry. "Do we know yet how Voldemort happened to be growing out the back of Lockhart's head - without a memory between them?"

This produced a wicked grin from Amelia. "We asked Snape that question while he was under Veritaserum, even he doesn't know the right story. He found them like that in an Albanian forest. There apparently was evidence that Lockhart had been bitten on the leg by some poisonous snake, but he had no memory of anything like that happening. He invited his spirit friend to 'stay with him' as, even without a memory, Lockhart was afraid of the dark. All our people could say was that both had been hit with an incredibly powerful obliviate curse. They say it would take years of work to undo even the smallest part of the damage, years those two just don't have. All the healers agree trying to remove Tom would kill them both. The snake venom though seems to have accelerated the deterioration of the body that supports both of them."

A determined Sirius had also wrought some concessions from the ministry. "Amelia and I were adamant that we be there at the end. We all want to be certain Voldemort really does pass away this time."

Agreeing with her soon to be husband, Amelia still couldn't control the shiver that ran down her back. "I watched him die in Hogwarts, swearing revenge on the entire country, only for his spirit to leave Quirrell's body. I still can't make my mind up if Harry then telling that spirit to fuck off was the bravest or dumbest thing I've ever seen. This Tom though bears only a physical resemblance to that screaming psychopath."

With his arm comfortingly around Amelia, Sirius gave them details of what the ministry had put in place. "They sit in a mirrored room, being able to see each other as they chat away. It also means they can both see whoever is talking to them. They're really happy with this set up, and no one can see the point in telling them they will get sick healers have never really dealt with a situation like this before so everything is their best guess. That best guess is currently predicting that neither of them will see Valentine's Day. We'll then know for certain if this really is all over."

"How much of that can people be told?" Luna's question left Amelia, Sirius and Remus wondering why she asked that. The two marauders were really intrigued, more so by everyone else sniggering while waiting on Amelia's answer. When Luna filled them in on what she'd suggested last night, laughter was once more breaking out around the room.

Amelia thought that really was an elegant solution, one she really favoured but with a couple of provisos. "That's great, Luna, but can we tweak it slightly. Anything you heard from me will of course be an unnamed 'ministry source'. Can you also hold off sending that for one more day? After Sirius and I get to Black Island, I don't care what the papers say…"

She found herself being interrupted by a grinning Sirius. "Though I want you to keep us copies of those papers for when we get back. Hey Moony, doesn't it warm your heart to see the marauders' legacy passing to the next generation?"

"Padfoot, Luna's prank is way better than anything we came up with. At the height of our fame, we managed to prank the entire castle. In one fell swoop, Luna's going to prank the entire country." Seeing his best man smiling again was all the cue Sirius needed to turn the attention onto tomorrow's wedding, something neither the bride nor groom thought would ever happen. That just meant though that Sirius, Amelia and their families would enjoy the occasion even more.

-oOoOo-

With plans provisionally made for the six younger members of the group to spend the next few days with the Dursleys, followed by everyone bringing in the New Year at the Grangers, Harry and Hermione knew this would be their last night snuggling together until they returned to Hogwarts. The only portion of their families' plans that were provisional was the pencilling in of Amanda's presence - and her father being invited to spend New Year with them in Crawley - none of which would affect their sleeping arrangements.

"Do you really think people will buy into Luna's fiction."

Knowing it was really reassurance Harry was looking for, a gentle kiss was placed on his lips before Hermione answered. "Luna is taking some facts and constructing a story around them. That her story actually contains these facts already puts her ahead of some of the rubbish printed in the Prophet - and their crap stories are taken as gospel. Luna is also telling them things they'll want to believe, the magical population of Britain will eat it up with a spoon. Wanna bet it will be the official version of events by the time we head back to Hogwarts?"

"Nuts, they're all bloody nuts. Where does this leave us though?" Feeling the flash of panic that passed through Hermione at his poor choice of words, Harry returned her tender kiss from earlier. "Sorry for how that sounded. Whatever we decide, we will move on together. You promised to be mine, in the past, present and future - I have every intention of holding you to that."

"Sorry love, it just caught me out for a second there. All our planning has been focused on getting rid of Voldemort. Now it looks like we could have achieved that it's perfectly normal to wonder what we do next..."

This actually set Harry of with a bout of the giggles. "Hermione, I don't think we could ever be described as normal. You're right about us having to figure out what we do next though. Can you see us spending the next five and a half years at Hogwarts? You've already done all of this stuff and spend most of your time teaching it to me. While I love spending time with our friends we need a better reason than that before committing such a big chunk of our lives to staying in the castle."

Watching as Hermione bit her lip while deep in thought had Harry holding her tighter and kissing her cheek. "You have no idea what you do to me when going into 'deep thought' mode. Have I ever told you how sexy I find intelligent girls to be?"

A giggle from Hermione had Harry mock pouting at her. "I'm laying my heart out here - and you're laughing at me?"

This earned Harry another kiss, and an explanation of where Hermione's deep thoughts had taken her. "I was just about to say 'never change' when it struck me just how much the both of us have changed. Neither of us ever had this many close friends before, or close family. We have to keep that intact, while coming up with a compromise allowing us to live our lives the way we want too. I agree completing all seven years of Hogwarts really wouldn't help us become the people we want to be, here's what I was thinking. I can work with you so we can sit our O.W.L.'s at the end of fourth year, taking our N.E.W.T.'s at the end of fifth. That would give us a couple of years where you could help me study for our A levels."

"Do you think we would be allowed to do that?" He'd barely uttered the words before realising how stupid that sounded. With Voldemort finally banished, there would be no compelling reason to keep them at Hogwarts - especially if they indicated they wanted to sit their N.E.W.T.'s before leaving. Harry then had only one thing to add to Hermione's idea. "Providing you make time in there to become Lady Potter then it gets my vote. Married and qualified for further education in both worlds by the time we're eighteen sounds wonderful to me. What we decide to do after that doesn't have to be worked out tonight..."

Harry never got to say any more, he just assumed by the way Hermione was now kissing him that she agreed with that.

-oOoOo-

The wedding of Madam Amelia Bones to Lord Sirius Black could easily have been the social event of the year, except for the fact neither of the main participants wanted it to be. Both Sirius and Amelia were far more comfortable with the small and intimate ceremony being held in the ballroom of Bones Manor, with invited guests numbering under fifty.

The Minister of Magic himself seemed delighted to be officiating for both these powerful people while Harry sat amongst the guests - holding hands with Hermione. After Sirius and Remus had patched up their differences, Harry had convinced Moony that he really should be the one at Padfoot's side today. Harry had found himself pushing at an open door, with Remus now desperately wanting to be there for his best friend on this special occasion.

Susan led the bridal party towards Sirius, Remus and the Minister of Magic. Her light blue robes proudly sported the Bones family crest. After the ceremony, the Black and Potter crests would join Susan's as she was officially welcomed to the family.

Amelia had chosen her dress Auror robes to get married in, since that was such a large part of her life. The awards and medals displayed on her robes were impressive, and second only to the Master Auror leading her down the aisle. Alastor had been touched when asked to fill in for his former trainee's father on such an occasion, though no one was quite sure if Mad-Eye actually could smile.

Though the actual ceremony was a rather simple affair, both Sirius and Amelia vowing to spend the rest of their lives together contained enough emotion from these two very private people to have a few of the guests reaching for the hankies. The kiss to complete their vows was such a tender moment that no one who knew either of this couple could fail to be affected by it.

As Cornelius introduced the guests to the new Lord and Lady Black, Sirius' splendid robes changed to a horrible fluorescent green with red writing across his chest proclaiming 'this old dog is now collared!'.

The collective loud gasp was soon eclipsed by Amelia bursting into laughter. Sirius was trying to hold his own laughter in while staring daggers at his best friend. That stare demanded an answer from Remus.

"Hey, Amelia said I couldn't do anything before or during the ceremony - and swore my bollocks would end up in a jar if I messed with your honeymoon. Marauder's honour demanded I pull something but your new Lady Black is scary. Under those circumstances, this is the best I could come up with."

Sirius then bursting into laughter saw the prank end, since both the bride and groom appreciated the funny side of Remus' prank, and his robes began to return to the almost regal set they were before.

The wedding party led the rest of the guests through to the magically extended dining room where a sumptuous meal was served. As all that rich food was digesting everyone was then treated to the best man's speech.

"I first met Sirius Black when we were both eleven year olds sitting on the Hogwarts Express. Of course, meeting Sirius Black also meant that you met James Potter, since the two were inseparable. The bonds of friendship initiated that first of September is one of the highlights of my life as we then spent the years that followed becoming the closest of friends. Minerva McGonagall is sitting here today so I don't want to give too much away about what we got up to in the seven years we spent at Hogwarts castle. After all, she is now my boss."

This generated a fair amount of laughter, with Remus being mock glared at for the second time today.

"A great source of amusement for Sirius at Hogwarts was James' consistently desperate but hilariously failed attempts to get Lilly Evans to notice him. James finally wooed and wed Lily though, with both Potters thinking watching their friend, Trainee Auror Black, mooning over his female instructor was cosmic payback time. Anyone who's ever met Amelia would know there would never be any impropriety where her occupation was concerned. Like James before him, Sirius recognised he would need to fundamentally change if there was ever going to be a chance of him and Amelia being together romantically. This new and improved version of Sirius became so focused on his training that he graduated second in the largest auror class to come out of the ministry in the last fifty years. Still Amelia managed to resist his charms, there was the little matter of the civil war raging in our country at the time. Who would have guessed that it would take Sirius spending over a dozen years in Azkaban to finally get these two together…"

Again there were audible gasps amongst the guests, this was not a subject normally mentioned at these type of occasions. Remus though was just warming up.

"A beautiful lady recently told me that, no matter how dark the circumstances we may find ourselves in, being able to accentuate any positive helps you cope with the situation. After having been abroad for many years I returned to Britain for the funeral of Albus Dumbledore. The positive that dark day for me was Sirius introducing Ami as his fiancee - leading to us all being here today. After being forced apart for all those years, these two took 'accentuating the positive' to a whole different level. Today we witnessed both swearing to be with one another for the rest of their lives, and I can honestly say I've never seen either of them happier than they are today. While our country changes around us, it's reassuring to know some things remain the same. I've known how Sirius felt about his Ami for years and today it gives me great pleasure to propose this toast. Please raise your glasses to the bride and groom, Lord and Lady Black."

After everyone had stood and toasted the couple, Sirius rose to reply.

"Well, I wasn't expecting Moony to go all serious on us..." The groans at that old pun saw Sirius quickly move on. "My wife and I would like to thank you all for being here today, and Ami's first wifely duty was to cut my 'one legged barman and the stuttering witch' joke from my speech." The laugh this raised was more than he would have gotten for telling the joke so Sirius now considered himself ahead.

"While ours could be considered an unusual courtship, I find myself standing here today with everything I ever wanted. We have our friends here, our families too, and we finally have each other. With our county finally becoming something we can all be proud of, this is certainly a day to celebrate. I think it's time for me to shut up now, and let us all get on with the celebrating part."

This received loud and genuine round of applause before everyone started making their way back through to the ballroom, now set up for dancing. Sirius led Amelia to the centre of the floor and the celebrations officially got underway. The dance floor was very busy for most of the evening as a great time was had by all.

-oOoOo-

Hermione awoke in Harry's bed, the problem she had with that though was her intended wasn't there - he was currently sharing Dudley's room. With Luna and Susan bunking in the guest bedroom of number four, Hermione was sharing Harry's room with a wide awake and still hyper Amanda. Checking the bedside clock, Hermione almost groaned at how early it was. This time in the morning was usually one of her favourite parts of the day as she and Harry would snuggle and talk until it was time to get up. That particular luxury wasn't going to be happening again until they returned to Hogwarts, and Amanda had clearly been waiting on her awakening to start chatting.

"Morning Hermione. I'm not usually a morning person but I think I'm still excited from yesterday. An actual Lord's wedding! Things like that don't happen to little old me."

"Sirius is family to us, we don't even think about the whole Lord thing. If we did, we would have to acknowledge that Harry is one too."

This had Amanda shaking her head in disbelief. "We Ketterings at least knew about the magical world yet both me and my father are struggling with all of this being kinda dropped on us. How the hell do you and your parents cope?"

"It's not easy but we sit down and talk about anything that bothers us. They very quickly accepted Harry and Dobby into the family, that was probably harder for them than accepting I'm a witch. Now we're all very close and that's far more important to us than any titles - or awards."

Amanda though was still struggling to come to terms with what she had seen so far. "You walked into that ball on Christmas Day and everyone knew who you were..."

Hermione actually chuckled at that. "First time we met Luna, she told me very few witches are awarded Orders of Merlin, First Class. When the witch wearing one of those is also a teenager, that pretty much means me."

"...and you shot out of that ball with Harry to capture a death eater?"

There was no smile this time. "That particular death eater attacked my mum and dad, with the intention of killing all four of us - that was personal and nothing could have stopped Harry or me going after him. Finding Voldemort like that was a welcome bonus. That story should break today, so let's get up and see what's happening. Neville, Parvati, Padma and Hannah will be coming over later and we can spend the day together."

Between the holidays, the incident happening late at night and then all of the main players being tied up with yesterday's 'strictly no press allowed' wedding, it was only today that the Prophet were able to break the story of how Severus Snape ended up in Ministerial Custody. They were also able to confirm who received the fifty thousand galleon reward, Remus Lupin.

That Remus was a werewolf was certainly reported but with no more prominence than the fact he was a Hogwarts Professor, a good friend of Harry Potter and also best man at Lord Black's wedding to the head of the D.M.L.E. All in all, they were rather pleasantly surprised - it was quite a factual piece that portrayed Remus in a rather positive light.

Then the Quibbler arrived and blew everyone away - even although most of them had already read Luna's draft of the article.

Voldemort Vanquished was a bold headline, bold in more than just in terms of the particular typeset used by Xeno Lovegood.

Xeno's newspaper then backed that boldness up with a story worthy of being written by the author it featured.

_**The Dark Lord who called himself Lord Voldemort is no more. He has been vanquished by one of wizarding Britain's last true hero's, Gilderoy Lockhart. This seems rather incredulous, considering the circumstances surrounding the last time this wizard made the headlines in our newspapers.**_

_**Not even the staunchest supporter of this renowned Honourary Member of the Dark Force Defence League could argue that Gilderoy's time spent in Hogwarts was anything other than an unmitigated disaster. Upon leaving the castle, it would seem our intrepid adventurer returned to what he does best - tackling the wizarding world's most serious problems.**_

_**That he tracked the Dark Lord down is beyond dispute, so also is the fact that Gilderoy put paid to the darkest wizard since Grindelwald. What is unsure is just how Gilderoy accomplished this. It's sad but true that we simply might never discover the exact details of how this monumental feat of skill and courage was actually carried out.**_

_**Like Gilderoy's predecessor at teaching defence in Hogwarts, Quintus Quirrell, the Dark Lord clearly attempted to possess Lockhart. The evidence we have been able to gather would make it appear that, upon realising this was one fight he was eventually going to lose, our hero turned his own wand upon himself.**_

_**Our ministry sources can confirm that the Dark Lord did indeed manage to complete his possession of Gilderoy Lockhart but not before the brave wizard could cast the most powerful obliviate they have ever seen on himself - and his attacker. This resulted in neither the Dark Lord nor Gilderoy being able to remember anything at all - not even their own name.**_

_**The same ministry source that broke this story to the Quibbler also confirmed this total loss of memory by both parties hit with this charm to be a condition that is irreversible by any methods currently known. The real tragedy of this story is that Gilderoy's body will gradually shut down - due to the now memoryless former Dark Lord still possessing him.**_

_**While awaiting that process to reach its inescapable conclusion, and to protect the public image of the dashingly heroic former five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award, the Ministry of Magic has decreed that no pictures of this unnatural joining will be permitted to be printed.**_

_**We at the Quibbler support this stance, since being led to believe Gilderoy Lockhart now has a likeness of the former Dark Lord growing out of the back of his head.**_

_**This memoryless figure was smuggled back into Britain by none other than the wanted death eater, Severus Snape. This recently released prisoner of Azkaban intended to use the darkest of rituals to try and return his master to a new body - and hopefully restore his memories too. Every expert that the ministry consulted on this attempt have confirmed this ritual would not have worked, and that the Dark Lord will pass away when Lockhart's body eventually ceases to function. The timescale for this has been indicated in weeks, rather than months.**_

_**These two will certainly outlive Severus Snape however, whose trial has been set for the thirty first of January. No one in Britain can seriously doubt Snape's guilt, nor what the ministry's response to that guilt will be. At a minimum sentence, Severus Snape will find himself becoming better acquainted with a dementor. After the crimes he's committed, and already serving a stay in Azkaban, the witches and wizards of Britain really won't settle for anything less than that.**_

The silence that had descended on the Dursley breakfast was broken by a loud and joyous whoop of sheer delight from Harry. He was out of his chair, had a giggling Luna in his arms, while repeatedly kissing her cheek and proclaiming his thanks. Harry then wrapped Susan in a hug before kissing her cheek too. Repeating this scene with Amanda had Dudley about to jokingly object before Harry then had Dudley in a bear hug too. This had the four girls in stitches of laughter as Harry moved on to his aunt and uncle.

As Harry's arms wrapped around Hermione, her laughter stopped as the couple celebrated this momentous news with a kiss that curled both their toes.

A confused Amanda aimed her question at the grinning Susan and Luna. "Why is Harry so happy? That article didn't mention his name once!"

"And that is exactly why Harry is so happy." Putting her arm around the younger blonde sitting on her other side, Susan pulled her into a grateful hug. "Luna, you did a wonderful job with this. Harry has enough trouble handling the amount of attention and adulation that comes his way, any more would push him over the edge. We could have lost both of them..."

The three Dursleys were now listening closely to what the girls were saying too as Luna confirmed she agreed with what Susan had just said. "Both Susan and I have noticed these two are far more comfortable in your world than they ever are in ours. They already have the boy-who-lived, Orders of Merlin and being Dumbledore's apprentices to deal with. If the British magical community discovered just how big a part they had played in finally taking down Voldemort, they would never have a moment's peace. In the muggle world, they can just be two teenagers. Knowing these two, that's all they want."

Hermione then had her arms around both her friends. "You must also know we would never leave you two, we think of you both as family. This should allow us to live our lives they way we want while Lockhart gets all the attention. Now that's what I call win-win." Her intended didn't say anything, the ear to ear grin Harry was sporting said it all.

-oOoOo-

Word of the sensational Quibbler story spread like wildfire, with Xeno easily selling every copy of the issue he was able to print. There was still a degree of scepticism though, this was after all the Quibbler.

With the country's magical population turning to the Ministry of Magic for answers, Fudge was forced to make a Ministerial Statement that was broadcast live on the WWN. With all the death eaters having been dealt with, the listening audience were ready to celebrate the moment Cornelius confirmed the main facts in the Quibbler's front page story.

With the current year approaching its end, it was now beginning to dawn on the magical populace of Britain it would be a lot more than just the calendars that would be changing this Hogmanay. The world as they knew it was becoming unrecognisable, and almost everyone was now accepting that this probably wasn't a bad thing.

-oOoOo- 6 Years Later -oOoOo-

For a Sunday night, the uni bar was pretty quiet. Then again, tomorrow was the last day of university before the Christmas holidays. The older students had taken the broad hints their lecturers had been dropping for the last few weeks and all buggered off home on Friday night or by Saturday afternoon at the latest.

The group sitting in the corner were all firsties, and all taking the same course. None of them really thought a 'Christmas piss-up' was a good idea. By the same token though, none of them wanted to be the one who said they weren't going when the idea was talked about. They were students, they were supposed to get pissed - weren't they?

At least they were currently being entertained. They had all noticed a beautiful girl sitting by herself. A beautiful girl who had politely but firmly rebuffed every attempt from anyone who had tried to chat her up. The odd thing was, all of them were sure she kept looking over in their direction. Martin had of course decreed that she must be looking at him, so confidently set off to conquer. He initially appeared to be making progress before his deflation was visible from the other side of the pub.

"I'm your density? Shouldn't that be destiny? Oh, I see - you're using some form of cultural reference and hoping that this joke will break the ice between us. The problem with that approach is, if I don't know the reference, I will think you are calling me thick - or that you are rather stupid and don't know the difference between density and destiny..."

This beautiful blonde may have managed to say all that without seemingly taking a breath but Martin was left speechless. His jaw was certainly moving up and down but there was no decipherable sound being produced. Martin thought that the voice coming behind was going to save him from any further embarrassment. Turning to see a couple who'd just entered the bar, he should have known better.

"Hey Biff, even if you had a flux capacitor, this girl is light years ahead of you."

The blonde shot out her seat and was now wrapped in Hermione Potter's arms.

"Hermione love, how many times have I got to tell you. It's Martin, not Biff. Hey Luna, how have you been?"

Luna then threw herself into Harry's now open arms as a totally dejected Martin was joined by a grinning Brian. "Why am I not surprised that Harry Potter ends up with the two most beautiful girls in the place on his arms. Give us mere mortals a break, Harry, and tell us your secret."

"Sheer luck, mate. This is Luna, she's one of our best friends and was bridesmaid at our wedding. We weren't expecting her but she's always welcome." Turning his attention back to Luna, it was a slightly puzzled Harry who asked a question. "I thought we would see you on Tuesday, why the change of plans?"

"Joy wanted to head off to the island earlier, and has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. As soon as her godparents hit London, we're all off to Black Island - so I was sent by the little madam to collect you both."

"We have classes on Monday..." A look from Harry stopped Martin saying any more, before comically weighing up the choice before him.

"Let me think about this for a moment. Classes on Monday with you lot, or lying on a beach with these two lovely ladies. I'll see you guys after the holidays."

This had Brian laughing but Harry held out his hand in the universal stop sign, though not at his laughing friend. "Martin, if you were about to make a comment that is in any way disparaging to either of these young ladies then I would advise you to make like a tree and go. Shit, he's got me doing it now."

As Martin made his way back to the group, Brian greeted both ladies. "Hi Hermione, how's English literature treating you? You sure have Martin's number, you're the only person I know who can get him to shut up about his obsession. Hi Luna, I'm Brian, pleased to meet you. How did you get tied up with this pair?"

"Hi Brian, I met these two when I was eleven and on my way to the same school. We've been friends ever since. I'm hoping to come here next year to study journalism..."

That last bit really peaked Brian's interest, the thought of having this beautiful girl here next year, and his obvious interest had Luna smiling too. Hermione had to ask her twice if Neville was going to the island this year.

"Oh yes, Parvati will want to make sure Harry has his best man duties down before the big day arrives. Something just occurred to me. If Neville ever forgets their anniversary, will he be in double trouble because it's also Valentine's Day?"

The blonde giggling along to her own joke was a sound Brian thought he would never tire of hearing. He was Harry's lab partner and liked the Potters a lot. Luna was looking like another reason to remain close to these two. "Are you really heading off to a tropical island?"

Hermione missed very little, and certainly not her best female friend's interest in Brian - someone she also liked and thought could be good for Luna. "Yes, the island belongs to Harry's godfather, our entire families have spent the last five Christmases there. Joy is his daughter, our goddaughter, and a little minx. She has her father and Harry here wrapped around her little finger..."

"Oh, and her godmother is such a stern character. 'Read me another story, Hermione - your's are the best."

"Now Harry, your jealousy is showing - just because I read better stories..."

Brian was laughing again, and grasping any excuse to keep talking to Luna. "These two crack me up. Have they always been like this?"

"I've known them since they were twelve, and that's a big yes. Even back then, Hermione wore his ring and they were as close as they are today."

Kissing his wife's cheek, Harry's grin was infectious. "Hey, I always knew exactly what I wanted - and here we all are. Brian, we really need to be going. We'll see you when we get back." Harry shook Brian's hand, Hermione hugged him, giving Luna the perfect excuse to do the same.

"I enjoyed meeting you, and now I have another reason to want to come here next year..."

Brian wasn't about to turn down an invitation like that. "We don't need to wait until then to see each other again, do we?" Luna's smile was all the answer he needed.

The three left the bar and headed to an enclosed part of the car park.

"He was nice, much nicer than Ron Weasley hitting on me."

"How's that going?" Both girls could practically hear the protectiveness in Harry's question.

"I can handle Ron, Harry, and since Ginny started dating Colin he's much more focused on them. Ginny has hexed the stupid prat at least three times."

As the trio held hands and prepared to disapparate to London, Hermione and Harry couldn't help but think this was so much better than the last time they walked out this bar. Instead of having to perform a decidedly dangerous ritual at a bloody freezing Stonehenge tomorrow, they would be lying on a beach surrounded by family and friends. Both thought that was a far more fitting destiny than the one they escaped from all those years ago.

** The End**


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